Sinaloa Middle School is on a great path now

I am writing in response to the article published April 15 with the headline “Marin grand jury urges better Novato school security.”

As PTSA president at Sinaloa Middle School, I have been very involved at the school over the last year and have seen firsthand the tremendous strides Sinaloa and the Novato Unified School District have made in improving student safety and school culture.

The Marin County Civil Grand Jury’s review of the incident last May is important in helping us ensure that a similar incident does not occur again. I appreciate their recommendations and the PTSA will work with the administration to support implementation.

Our school has come so far in the last year. District Superintendent Tracy Smith worked tirelessly over the summer to revise/clarify district policies and the discipline matrix. Her aim was to ensure consistency throughout the district. I personally was part of a parent group asked to give initial feedback on these efforts.

Under the extraordinary leadership of new Principal Ellie Marsh, there is a much more positive and supportive feeling on the Sinaloa campus.

Specifically, Marsh has adjusted the schedule to include social-emotional learning, created programs to reward positive student behavior, implemented a new anti-bullying policy and encouraged the use of the school’s new Wellness Hub. Both Marsh and our counselor are bilingual, which is so valuable to our community.

Sinaloa staff and parents spearheaded a hate-speech policy that is now board approved and adopted district-wide. All of this has helped to improve student relationships, reduced bullying and resulted in a better school culture overall.

Novato’s Sinaloa community has shown great resiliency. This is an opportunity to focus on positive outcomes, especially when it comes to our kids.

— Dr. Claire Tyler, Novato

Withdrawing from housing JPA was right for Larkspur

Bravo to the Larkspur City Council for withdrawing from the joint powers authority that failed miserably to provide housing to middle-income renters at the Serenity apartments in Larkspur Landing (“Larkspur to pull out of rental housing authority,” April 19).

The arrangement cost Larkspur $3 million in property taxes. Congratulations are in order to Councilmembers Stephanie Andre and Scot Candell, who took the lead on this; city staff who followed up; and to local residents who raised concerns.

— Joan Lubamersky, Larkspur

Vote no on Measure E for Ross Valley School District

Once again, another one of Marin’s 18 school districts is crying poverty while top administrators enjoy what I consider to be high pay and generous pensions.

With rising inflation, disorder in Washington, chaotic tariffs and economic instability, now is not the time for another expensive tax.

Ross Valley School District already put a tax on our ballot in 2010, 2012 and 2018. Now it wants more. The district chose to place Measure E on a special mail-in ballot. In my opinion, this is because fewer people are likely to vote (with the outcome decided by a smaller group of supporters), since fewer residents than in a general election make time to vote.

In my view, Ross Valley School District officials haven’t engaged the public enough. It seems to me that the district is focused on mailers. I think they read like promotional propaganda. From my perspective, only those following the inner workings of the RVSD Board of Trustees got to truly participate in the discussion. I don’t think that’s adequate for an important proposal like this.

The tax could double or more for multifamily and business properties (and larger homes). When costs go up, most landlords typically pass through taxes to tenants in the form of rent hikes. I worry it will be yet another blow to housing affordability.

District officials should have conducted a much broader discussion with the community. I think voters in the district should demand that RVSD bring this huge parcel tax back for a truly open discussion in the next general election. Vote no on Measure E.

— Pascal Sisich, San Anselmo

Letter urging cuts to military spending hit mark

I would like to commend Brian Donohue of Mill Valley for his excellent letter urging that the military budget be cut in half and the money be spent instead on improving the lives of Americans, given how poorly we do compared to other developed nations.

The wealth of a nation is not in its military might, but in the wellbeing of its citizens.

— Dr. Ann Troy, San Anselmo