It was with much reflection that I read of the retirement of Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools Bill Cirone. His retirement has made me reflect on our many years of service as the two of us started off in the county during a similar time frame. I had just started working in a small Title I school after finishing college. It was an excellent spot for me after I had turned down an offer to enter the Peace Corps in far off Tonga in the Pacific. It gave me an opportunity to serve in a community that needed dedicated teachers. Bill and I have been and continue to be staunch supporters of public education. He was elected the new county superintendent at about the same time. He always had my back during some very difficult years. After five years at my teaching job I decided to return for graduate studies in the Los Angeles area with my new wife, Pernelle. When we returned four years later to Santa Barbara County, the Casmalia Board of Trustees approached me to become the new principal/superintendent in the small district. It was an easy decision as I anticipated low stress doing something I greatly enjoyed.
But in 1984 things changed dramatically as cyanide fumes and other toxins from our neighboring toxic waste dump site settled on the campus, causing an emergency closure of the school. I can to this day remember the sweet smell of the toxic brew and the hurried call to Bill’s office to notify him of the closure. Bill, I knew, had my back with the wave of news coverage as I drove quickly to the doctor’s office that day. My doctor advised me not to return to work at that location, but I had a family to support and students who needed my help! So this event started a six-year battle with the owners of the dumpsite, regulators from every level of government, Southern California industries, and judges/politicians from every level of government.
Families who could afford it moved from the community, but many were stuck! Homeowners could not sell their homes because of the closeness of the dumpsite less than a mile away! Poor renters could also not afford to move. School enrollment dipped to lower than one half of the previous year’s enrollments, and in California, schools get state income based on enrollment. Our district could not continue! But again, Bill had my back and found a loophole at the state Legislature. He found that with a catastrophic event, the state Legislature could pass a bill to fund our district at pre-event levels. He took care of all the paperwork for our district! I thank him to this day for his efforts.
Periodically, during this time period, I would go to county and state offices and go through public files, pressing my rights to freedom of information. It was during one of these visits to the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District that I found secretive information that was placed back in the public files that showed that a panel of experts had warned the county of harm to neighbors and employees from a cyanide processing machine, and that later, it had not been supervised by the county properly, resulting in massive overruns. It lacked any required permits. It gave me great pleasure to turn this information over to the community and district attorney. This was one of many of the turning points in the community’s long efforts to close the dumpsite. After six long years, the community’s efforts resulted in closure and the EPA capping and managing the site. The community deservedly received the largest legal settlement in county history.
Before this closure, the community could always count on the County Education Office and Bill Cirone to be helpful and on our side, unlike our county supervisor from Lompoc and the County Counsel’s Office, which ended up having to defend the dismal actions or lack of action of the county Health Department and the Air Pollution Control District.
Casmalia School District was a location where students and parents from all walks of life and all races worked together, as should be the case in a democracy, to not only educate students but to accomplish community goals. This was a true example of what American public education should be. Bill Cirone, you were part of this effort, and I would like to personally salute and thank you for your efforts to help Casmalia and wish you the best in your retirement years!
Ken McCalip is a North Santa Barbara County native who holds bachelor and doctorate degrees in history, cultural geography, and law from various California universities. Send your thoughts to [email protected].
