Board members, including Anderson, said they weren\u2019t aware of the polls until Voice of San Diego\u2019s reporting.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Board Chair Terra Lawson-Remer played a role in all three polls. Her office secured an up to $250,000 contract with a polling consultant. A third poll was approved by a county board subcommittee also co-chaired by Vice Chair Monica Montgomery Steppe. The subcommittee directs an up to $320,000 contract to explore potential revenue measures.<\/p>\n
Anderson wants the polling consultants to present their findings to the board on Sept. 1. He argues that his Democratic colleagues need to be more transparent.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re so deep in the forest of secrecy they can\u2019t see that they\u2019re withholding information from their colleagues and the public,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The other side: Lawson-Remer\u2019s office has previously defended the polling, citing existing county guidelines meant to facilitate public feedback. Her team said the polls conducted under her office\u2019s contract were posted on her supervisor website.\u00a0<\/p>\n
San Diego Unified\u2019s Enrollment Bump Could Be Mirage\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"Students](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/untitled-01460-1024x683.jpg\")
Students leaving school for the day at Correia Middle School in Point Loma on Sept. 18, 2023. \/ Photo by Ariana Drehsler <\/p>\n
Over the past weeks a data point has been ricocheting around local news outlets: San Diego Unified enrolled 3,033 new students over summer, doubling its goal of enrolling 1,309 new students.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As district spokesperson James Canning wrote in a press release, the goal \u201cheld special significance\u201d because that was how many students the district lost between 2024 and 2025.<\/p>\n
But it may still not be enough to overcome the creeping enrollment decline that\u2019s swept over districts across California<\/a>.That\u2019s because the declines are driven by big trends largely out of the control of individual districts, like declining birth rates and rising costs of living chasing families from expensive metros like San Diego.<\/p>\n In San Diego Unified alone, enrollment has shrunk for 10 of the last 11 years. Overall, the district has 15,000 fewer students than it did in 2014.<\/p>\n Not a complete picture: Importantly, the stats don\u2019t include how many students the district lost, either to graduation or to transfers.There was also no data on what grades these new students were in.\u00a0<\/p>\n For example, last year, San Diego Unified enrolled 4,821 students in its transitional kindergarten program. If all of these students that enrolled in June and July were four-year-olds signing up for TK (which, admittedly, is unlikely) that would actually amount to a significant decrease.<\/p>\n San Diego Unified officials aren\u2019t entirely hiding the ball. In the email, Canning noted it wouldn\u2019t be clear if the district had grown until enrollment numbers are finalized in October.\u00a0<\/p>\n Rep. Peters: USS Abraham Lincoln Reports \u2018Incredibly Concerning\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n The Pacific-based aircraft carrier USS George Washington has begun heading toward the Middle East as reports have emerged of mental health and supply issues aboard the long-deployed USS Abraham Lincoln<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Lincoln has been supporting the U.S. war against Iran<\/a>, and its deployment has included a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea of more than 240 days.\u00a0<\/p>\n Military Times spoke with families who reported <\/a>that sailors have tried to go overboard. Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao hosted a town hall meeting in Coronado with more than 200 military family members. At another meeting, family members raised concerns about sailors\u2019 mental health, Military Times reported.\u00a0<\/p>\n Several Democratic lawmakers are pressing for accountability from the Pentagon over conditions aboard the carrier, which Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday said were \u201ccompletely misrepresented.\u201d<\/p>\n Rep. Scott Peters wrote on X that the reports were incredibly concerning. He said his office is keeping a close eye on the conditions of those onboard.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cMilitary families in San Diego deserve real answers about what\u2019s going on, and our servicemembers deserve to be treated with dignity, not pushed past their breaking point,\u201d Peters wrote on X.\u00a0<\/p>\n (Konstantin Toropin with the Associated Press contributed to this section.)\u00a0<\/p>\n Read more here. <\/a><\/p>\n South County Report: The Contests for Power in South Bay<\/p>\n Several last minute surprises may shake up races in South County come this November.\u00a0<\/p>\n The big news: National City Mayor Ron Morrison is retiring after it was expected he\u2019d run for a fifth term. Our Jim Hinch breaks down the new race \u2013 a standoff between two Democrats (and former allies).<\/p>\n In Chula Vista, Republican mayoral incumbent John McCann remains a frontrunner but the role of labor unions, who\u2019ve recently been playing an active role in city politics, in the November election remains uncertain.\u00a0<\/p>\n In Imperial Beach, a last minute bid for mayor and a last minute city councilmember\u2019s announcement not to seek re-election has thrown one of the more expectedly stable races in South County for a loop.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Read the South County Report here.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n Loyal readers of Voice of San Diego are almost certain to be aware of Education reporter Jakob McWhinney\u2019s well-documented disgust with San Diego\u2019s city flag. Back in 2024, he wrote a plea to San Diegans to take seriously the prospect of updating our old and ugly flag<\/a>. It\u2019s safe to say it didn\u2019t get much traction.<\/p>\n Every now and then, though, some enterprising designer cooks up a new flag. It\u2019s always exciting, even if they don\u2019t always look great. Most recently, a social media user posted proposed designs<\/a> for a whole slew of Southern California cities, including a bunch in our region.<\/p>\n San Diego\u2019s could still use some more work, but the ones for Chula Vista, El Centro, Poway and Solana Beach look pretty darn good.\u00a0<\/p>\n What do you think?<\/p>\n In Other News\u00a0<\/p>\n San Diego County staff will ask the board to finalize new rules and a process for making county-funded polling public<\/a>. If approved on Tuesday, county lawyers would need to sign off on poll language and contracts and offices that conduct polls would share them with the county clerk to be posted publicly.<\/p>\n The city of San Diego is funding an additional 160 shelter beds<\/a> for unhoused women and children. (KPBS)\u00a0<\/p>\n Mold found in classrooms at Del Sur Elementary in Poway is delaying<\/a> the start of class until at least next week. (NBC San Diego)\u00a0<\/p>\n Most economists say it\u2019s not worth the multimillion price tag<\/a> to move the trolley tracks in La Mesa that have long hindered customers\u2019 ability to reach local businesses. (Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26225669305636-1024x685.jpg\")
Sailors and Marines line the deck of aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) as it deploys from San Diego, Jan. 3, 2021. (K.C. Alfred\/The San Diego Union-Tribune via AP, File)<\/p>\n![\"Marcus](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/vito-distefano-9-2-25-7-1024x684.jpg\")
National City Councilmember Marcus Bush during a City Council on Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025. \/ Vito Di Stefano for Voice of San Diego<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/San-Diego-City-Hall_11-23-2020-4-800x523-1.jpg\")
File photo of San Diego City Hall. \/ Photo by Brittany Cruz-Fejeran<\/p>\n