Bahia Vista principal outlines challenges: housing instability, chronic absenteeism and student harassment

Principal Mari Kernan presented a year‑end snapshot of Bahia Vista Elementary to the San Rafael City Schools board on May 19, highlighting improved student engagement on some measures and persistent structural barriers that affect attendance and learning.

"Bahia Vista serves around 550 students. The vast majority are of whom are English learners and socioeconomically disadvantaged," Kernan said, describing the school's student body and the concentrated needs the site addresses. She told the board nearly half of students at Bahia Vista experience housing instability and that the school faces high rates of chronic absenteeism.

Kernan credited gains on several measures — including more students finishing assignments and increased feelings of belonging recorded in the California Healthy Kids Survey — to stronger family connections and partnerships. But she also told trustees the school has seen "an increase in reported harassment, decreased satisfaction with cleanliness, and ongoing concerns about boredom and student engagement," and she said those concerns are being addressed through expanded personalized learning and student‑led initiatives.

During board questions, Trustee Lau asked for clarification about the school’s use of the term "homelessness." Kernan replied that the district records those students in Aeries as homeless but that many families are better described as experiencing "home instability" — for example, families temporarily living in a single room, sharing a relative’s apartment, staying in a shelter, or living in cars — and that staff work quickly to connect those families with shelter and services.

Kernan described the school’s strategies for attendance and engagement: tiered academic supports via MTSS, bilingual counseling, family‑center services, and partnerships with community organizations including Canal Alliance, YMCA, Bay Area Community Resources and Marin Community Clinics. She noted that transportation, childcare access and health‑related absences are common root causes for missed school days.

Trustees asked for more detail on patterns of absenteeism and on plans for addressing student harassment and social‑media-driven conflict; Kernan said site staff are using targeted group counseling, family outreach and safety interventions and that the school and district are exploring parent workshops on digital literacy and parental controls.

Kernan said leadership transition planning is under way: she is retiring and the school has documented procedures and empowered teacher leaders to support continuity while the district finalizes the next site leader.