Education

Palomar College pledges free tuition for all San Marcos school district graduates

Move over Bernie Sanders, community college just became free at San Marcos for local students. Sanders is known for his proposal to bring free tuition to public colleges, and today, Wednesday, June 21 Palomar College became just that — free — for all eligible graduating San Marcos Unified School District students. The Palomar Community College District Governing Board approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between…


Terra Madre hosts ‘Gathering’ as Escondido hosts Honeywell Green Boot Camp

Terra Madre ‘Gathering’ Billed as “a celebration of passion and action”  Terra Madre Gardens holds what organizers call “its first of many gatherings” on Saturday, June 18. “Inspired by the power of community and the call to create positive change, this gathering is a beautiful culmination of  transformational Workshops, Yoga Sessions, Healing Experiences, Conscious Music and Visionary Art,” publicist Jennifer Root said. The idea came…


Luann in house for CSUSM commencement

As befitting a school on the rise, Cal State University San Marcos (CSUSM) graduated its largest class ever over the weekend. Five separate ceremonies bestowed degrees to over 3,160 students — 3,012 undergraduates and 588 teacher credential candidates. It was the school’s 25th commencement. “Notably, 55 percent of the graduating students are the first in their families to earn a four-year college degree and 35 percent…


As Jose Fragozo’s legal world turns

Another day, another day in court has been set for Escondido Union School District Trustee Jose Fragozo. Judge Carlos Armour called for a pre-trial hearing on Wednesday, June 22 following Fragozo pleading not guilty to 13 felony charges related to allegedly misrepresenting his place of residence to run for school board. Fragozo’s attorney Victor Torres entered the plea. A preliminary hearing last month found enough…


From legal frying pan into fire for Fragozo

May 18 has been set as arraignment day for Escondido Unified School District Trustee Jose Fragozo’s next journey through the legal system. Fragozo was exonerated last month during a hearing sought by EUSD superintendent Juan Rankins-Ibarra and other administrators to make a temporary restraining order stick permanently. San Diego Superior Court Judge Richard Whitey refused to bar Fragozo from attending school board meetings and visiting…


Palomar smoking policy flirts with fines

It’s no secret that Palomar College has a campus smoking issue despite the ‘smoke-free campus’ placards placed throughout the college. A new proposal seeks to increase the campus’s authority to further enforce the campus smoking policy, potentially levying fines against violators instead of verbal warnings. While some students say that Palomar should not include vaping in its policy — and others want to bring back…


Local LGBTQ students receive scholarships

San Diego Human Dignity Foundation (SDHDF) is partnering with PFLAG San Diego County to recognize nine deserving LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, and Asexual) students from around San Diego County for their exemplary academic achievements and leadership vision at the 2016 Launching Leaders Scholarship Awards Luncheon, 1:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, May 13 at the Corky McMillin Companies Event Center at Liberty Station….


Escondido education: Jose Fragozo returns; Heritage Charter School hassle continues

Two items drew me to Thursday’s Escondido Union School District Board of Education meeting. Firstly, I was curious to see the reception Jose Fragozo would get after the restraining order against him was lifted. This was covered in the Escondido Grapevine: https://escondidograpevine.com/2016/03/25/eusd-denied-restraining-order-against-trustee-jose-fragozo-breaking/. Secondly, Agenda Item 301 “Conduct a public hearing on a request for a material revision to the Heritage K-8 Charter School petition…” caught my attention….


A tree grows at San Marcos High School

In keeping with the 46th Annual Earth Day theme of “Trees for the Earth,” the Lake San Marcos Democratic Club along with the San Marcos High School Senior Class planted a tree at the school quad. This tree, planted on April 20, 2016, will stand forever as a reminder of these ideals for all students who pass through the school in coming years. The club…


Portable classrooms, despite heat and noise, find permanent homes here

Editor’s Note: Portable classrooms have their share of critics and raison d’etre. An Inewsource investigation published here under special agreement gets to the bottom of the portable classroom question. Escondido Union School District has almost as many portable as permanent classrooms, 419 of the former to 489 of the latter in a district with 19,204 students. In fact, EUSD ranks second in all of San…