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Paso Robles schools need accountability, not another bond

October 18, 2025

Dorian Baker

OPINION by DORIAN BAKER

The Paso Robles Joint Unified School District is once again laying the groundwork for another bond measure — this time considering $100 million, $188.9 million, or $288 million.

This push comes at a time when the district’s enrollment has dropped by about 600 students since 2020. With fewer students, most taxpayers would expect the district to need less money, not more.

Instead, they’re preparing to ask for hundreds of millions in new debt while continuing to raise developer fees, which only make housing less affordable.

Meanwhile, district administrators are among the highest paid in the region. According to Transparent California:

  • Chief Business Officer Brad Pawlowski earns $316,352
  • Superintendent Jennifer Loftus earns $297,510
  • Assistant Superintendents Erin Haley, Shauna Ames, and Thomas Harrington each earn between $225,000 and $287,000

That’s well over $1.3 million a year in total pay and benefits — yet academic results remain alarmingly low.

On recent state testing, only 36% of socioeconomically disadvantaged students met English standards and 23% met math standards. Among English learners, the number drops to about 5% in both subjects.

For comparison, Frank Sparkes Elementary in Merced County — a school that is 90% Latino and 80% socioeconomically disadvantaged — far outperforms Paso Robles schools. At Frank Sparkes, 57% of English Learners met English standards and 43% met math standards.

The difference isn’t demographics; it’s leadership, accountability, and expectations.

At the same time, the school district board recently refused (again) to even discuss Trustee Kenney Enney’s proposal to protect girls’ sports and private spaces by keeping biological boys out of girls’ locker rooms and teams. The motion to place the item on a future agenda for discussion failed 4–3, despite letters from female students expressing discomfort with the current situation.

Paso Robles doesn’t need more debt. It needs responsible leadership that puts students before administrators and community values before politics. Until that happens, voters should say no to new bonds and yes to accountability.

Dorian Baker is a retired Paso Robles Joint Unified School District teacher and a former district trustee.

 


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You forgot two of the Crimson all-stars! Shauna Ames the HR director and Scott Bueler the IT director. Bueler has driven out over 75% of his staff in the last 2 years. 2 managers have left in the last 2 months. That is decades of institutional knowledge and professional expertise gone. Scott’s complete inability as a leader is protected by the enforcement wing of HR. If a staff member is brave enough to question one of the protected administrators such as Scott, Shauna is right there with threats and intimidation. The icing on the cake is that Jennifer Loftis immediately gave Bueler a $50,000 a year raise for criminally poor performance. How many teachers and para-educators could be employed with the recent administrative raises?


At least the PRJUSD administration is consistent with unapologetic poor performance and a culture of nepotism and harassment.


17

Why even graduate students from high school or college, there’s no job market for students to enter into.


-20

This is just more propaganda with the ulterior motive of publically funding private schools. Don’t fall for this bs.


-20

“The trouble with our Liberal friends is not that they’re ignorant; it’s just that they know so much that isn’t so.” – Ronald Reagan


1

California school districts do not need to be run as independent “for profit” entities with Superintendents (CEOs), and business managers (COO) in each district because they aren’t for profit entities. Their budget is set by the state. The facilities are paid for by the state, local bonds, or development fees. These functions can be performed at the state level. All they do now is spend time complying with the state.

Let the Principal run the school and the state to run the business functions. Eliminate the middle levels of management that bloat budgets and deliver very little accountability. School boards control curriculum and local administration, but most make horrible business decisions.

You would have more money for teachers if you do.


18

And keep failing our students because the job security and feelings of the abo administrators are more important? Thanks for the comment!!


2

They have known for decades that what they created with property taxes and bonds wasn’t going to work, yet as usual, just kicked the can down the road. It’s really hard to find a worse return on investment than these school systems.

The little guys and taxpayers are the losers as usual…


52

I will leave Paso Robles before I pay another wasted bond measure. And believe me, there is a lot of waist in Paso Robles! Chris Williams, Ty Lewis.


21

These public servants are criminals! They do very little while receiving astronomical salaries? 200k+? While the private sector overly taxed payers struggle? They need to be fired and replaced now!


60

We need more who think like this! Very well presented! Thank you!


46

Very well said! Professionalism, Honesty, Accountability and Responsibility are THE BIGGEST requirements that are rapidly disappearing from American society and government, as clearly demonstrated by failed Republican leaders (leaders ???) in Washington D.C. Americans will be up against the wall with fear and disgust when the failure of these three requirements forces THEM into the corner of despair and disbelief when their lives today and in the future are irreparably damaged and destroyed by the MAGA (Make Americans Grovel Again) movement. For the first time in American history we are seeing the failure and collapse of our society because of the utter failure of our nation’s federal government. This failure is spreading throughout our nation, which is now beginning to become very visible in our local communities.


-80

So what does that all that drivel have to do with the pathetic pubic schools of paso and our state in general?


9

It’s been planned this way for the last 60 years. It’s also, it really is, in the Communist Party USA handbook of how to take over America. Here’s a few:


#2..Get control of the schools and teachers’ associations. Soften the curriculum.


#3..Gain control of all student newspapers.


#7.. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in the media.


#8.. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as “normal, natural, and healthy.”


#9..Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the grounds that it violates the principal of “separation of church and state.”


#12..Belittle American culture and discourage the teaching of American history.


#17..Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents.


As if DEI, drag queens, CRT, and the obvious lack of actual education isn’t obvious enough.


4

Any of you other Trump voters collapsing? Yeah, me neither. Although, it is fun to watch democrats and leftists implode. Always a good show to watch!


No Kings in America, since 1781!


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