Staff Editorial
The informal and unorganized process that the MBUSD followed in approving the facility use permit allowed the filming of a movie on Mira Costa’s campus that clearly conflicts with the MBUSD’s values and goals as an educational institution.
According to Assistant Superintendent Dr. Steve Romines, the MBUSD originally provided The Loop Entertainment, a Disney subsidiary, with a permit to film at Mira Costa. However, Romines said that production changed hands and the permit was transferred to The Yard Production, which planned to use it to film “High School.”
The MBUSD’s facility use policy requires that an outside organization complete the “Application for Community and Commercial Use,” which can be found on the MBUSD website, to lease district facilities. If the application is completed fully, it is approved by the selected school’s principal, vice principal, district office and the director of maintenance and operations.
However, this process was not followed when the MBUSD granted The Loop Entertainment a permit to film. Additionally, according to multiple administrative officials, this form is usually not utilized fully. Costa Principal Ben Dale said he had never seen the form he should have been provided in order to approve any use of the Mira Costa campus.
Had the MBUSD thoroughly vetted the project by consistently communicating with producers, it would have learned that the permit it issued had changed hands and that the The Yard Production, the new holders of the permit, had changed the content.
In fact, simply asking for the working title and leading cast of the film would have revealed its objectionable content. Minimal investigation would have given MBUSD reason to revoke the permit before filming of the movie even began.
Although Vice Principal Paula Spence was on campus during filming on May 8, the Costa administration has said she was not acting in an official capacity. If she or a district representative had been explicitly tasked with monitoring production, they would have realized that the film’s content was not as it had originally seemed.
In addition to the MBUSD failing to monitor the activities going on during the filming, Spence failed to act responsibly as well. Spence said that by May 2, six days before filming began, she knew that both The Yard Production and Snoop Dogg would be using the campus to film.
Although Snoop Dogg has also taken part in projects that convey positive messages, Spence should have expressed skepticism of the man who regards himself as this era’s Cheech and Chong and broughtthese concerns to the district.
This kind of communication and common sense could have started an inquiry into the true nature of the film and prevented production of the film from even starting had she contacted the district.
According to the MBUSD press release, two days of filming aroused suspicion that the content of the film promoted illegal activity. The MBUSD then rescinded the production company’s permit to use the campus before the third day of filming could take place and refused any compensation for the first two days of filming.
By waiting to act until May 10 to cancel the permit, the MBUSD allowed filming of “High School” to continue an extra day, despite complaints to both Spence and the MBUSD that the film centered around highly objectionable content and that alleged illegal activities were occurring on campus during filming.
The school district must take steps to prevent a similar situation from arising in the future by reforming the application for facility use process.
MBUSD should also do basic research into any project that requests the use of its facilities to ensure that its content is consistent with MBUSD’s educational goals.
It would be wise for MBUSD to monitor the use of its facilities by any outside group, ensuring that the group does not abuse its use permit.
Most importantly, it is imperative that the district maintain communication with all groups involved in any lease of its property, including the lessees and school administrations.
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