“. . . dear old golden rule days, Readin’ and ‘ritin’ and ‘rithmetic, Taught to the tune of a hick’ry stick, You were my queen in calico, I was your bashful barefoot beau, And you wrote on my slate, ‘I love you Joe,’ When we were a couple of kids.”
Written in 1907 by Gus Edwards (no relation) and Will Cobb, that tune conjures up fond school memories for many, even those who never graduated. In our Sonoma Valley Unified School District, however, school days seem increasingly ‘bygone’ with each passing year.
Shrinking enrollment, closing schools and – for next school year – yet another new superintendent who will/might/could/please!please!please! be talked into taking the job.
The sixth superintendent in 15 years.
In 2010, Louann Carlomongo, a respected 18-year veteran teacher and principal in the District, took the job when the previous superintendent resigned suddenly.
For seven years she ran a district with a $40 million budget, 4,250 students and 12 schools, but suddenly resigned in 2017 after … ah … “difficulties” with a certain school board member.
And the Superintendent Drama has continued. The shelf-life of those in the role has been two years – max:
- Dr. Chuck Young (2017-2018) interim/acting super, pending the search for Carlomongo’s successor.
- Socorro Shiels, hired 2018, “fired” 2020.
- Adrian Palazuelos, hired March 2021, “separated” November 2022.
- Jeanette Rodriguez Chien, hired July 2023, resigned June 2025.
Googling each turns up newspaper accounts of the ongoing administrative drama. Fodder for a great Senior Class Play, if they still have those.
Currently, the District has only 3,195 students in nine schools, but a proposed 2025/2026 budget of $71.9 million; i.e., nearly $32 million more to educate 25 percent fewer kids than in Carlomongo’s day, with another school on the chopping block as we go to press.
The decline in student population seems attributable to:
- Local cost of living, forcing families with kids to move to Vallejo, or Kansas.
- High cost of raising kids to age 18 (food, clothes, books, i-Phones, laptops, healthcare, drugs, family therapy, college, etc.)
- Smarter women.
- Cheap birth control.
But Question: Despite the District’s continuing sturm und churn, how does it compare – educationally and otherwise – to other school districts in the county and the state? Readers can find those rankings at: https://www.niche.com/k12/d/sonoma-valley-unified-school-district-ca/rankings/. Bear in mind that California schools are nationally ranked in a category statisticians refer to as “stinks.”
Thankfully, our District gets a solid D+ in “administration.” And though many students fail to achieve ‘average’ levels in complex subjects such as reading, almost every kid who shows up most days will graduate. Of course everyone passes physical education.
Thankfully again, when it comes to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), the District’s numbers are very encouraging if somewhat confusing. Its “minority enrollment” is supposedly 70 percent, a figure that seems to suggest that the “minority” is in fact the “majority,” and that the “majority” is the “minority.” Go figure.
Also, 29.3 percent of students are “economically disadvantaged,” a number which may also be confusing. Readers will be hard pressed to recall any student from their own school days who didn’t need more cash – for cigarettes, beer, cars, etc.
Nonetheless, all readers should pay close attention to the District’s ongoing drama. Our kids certainly deserve everyone’s full support in pursuit of their educational dreams and futures.
Besides, if District history is any guide, there could soon be a bond measure on the ballot for a new football stadium.
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