Coronado Unified School District spent $23,700 on a color-coded wristband recess program that prompted about two dozen students and parents to rally against it at the Aug. 20 board meeting.
The contract with Playworks Education Energized, approved on the consent calendar June 18, covers both Village Elementary and Silver Strand Elementary. It was billed as a "recess reboot, recess implementation and consultation visit," according to Coronado Times reporting.
Superintendent Karl Mueller acknowledged at the meeting that parents should have been told about the changes before school started Aug. 10.
"We recognize that parents should have received detailed context prior to the first day, about what and why there were changes being made," Mueller said.
The rally was organized by Concerned Village Parents, a coalition of more than 50 Coronado families. Students held signs reading "Let Kids Play" and "Prison," as The Coronado News reported Aug. 24.
Charlie Wilson, a Village Elementary third-grader, told the board: "Last night I cried because I feel like this is tearing my friendships apart."
Parent Eric Grobe cited the district's own data showing 93% of Village Elementary students had zero or only one office referral in the prior school year. Rather than address a concentrated problem, Grobe argued, the administration restricted every child.
Board requests formal report
Trustee Renee Cavanaugh said it would be "irresponsible" not to listen to the students and parents who spoke. She asked the district to prepare a formal report on the program for the next board meeting, scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 10, at 4 p.m.
Whether the report will formally appear on that agenda has not been confirmed.
Trustee Mal Sandie offered a different perspective, saying he saw "lots of happy faces" when he observed recess at Village Elementary.
Silver Strand tells a different story
Silver Strand Elementary has run the same Playworks program since 2021. Principal Jenny Moore said a few families initially pushed back, but the school adjusted its schedule to let fourth- and fifth-graders mix in certain zones. The program is now an unquestioned part of the school day, Moore said.
Mueller defended the $23,700 cost, saying the district could not hire a recess aide for that amount. He noted the aide position has consistently shown high turnover. A parent volunteer list for recess monitoring is in the works, he said, though consistency with volunteers remains a challenge.
What changed and what's next
The program launched Aug. 10 in three phases. Phase 1 assigned students to specific zones for two weeks. Phase 2, which began Monday, Aug. 24, lets students choose a zone daily and interact across classrooms. Phase 3 is a long-term goal of open recess with minimal restrictions.
Village Elementary Principal Peter Kuhns, who presented a parent forum Aug. 13 explaining the program, went on family medical leave as of Aug. 24. No interim administrator has been named publicly.
Parents also raised concerns about the lack of green space at Village Elementary, saying children can no longer access the community garden or green field they previously used during recess. The board-requested report is expected to address those concerns at the Sept. 10 meeting.
