Frustrations boiled over at Wednesday night’s South Bay Union School District meeting. Parents and teachers are upset that the district is going to shut down Central Elementary and possibly two others at a later time.

At one point in the meeting, teachers got so upset that they walked out. It came after the school board voted unanimously to approve an interim superintendent’s pay package for nearly $18,500 a month.

That payday comes at time when teachers rallied outside the meeting because they might strike since they’ve  been in contract negotiations for more than a year.

The board also voted unanimously to close Central Elementary at the end of this school year. Berry and Sunnyslope Elementary schools could close as well, at a later time. But that’ll be based on a review of enrollment and financial data going forward.

The district says declining enrollment and declining revenues are major problems and factors in its decision. It says keeping under enrolled schools open would increase maintenance costs, stretch limited resources and hamper the ability to deliver equitable services across all schools.

But teachers and parents say paying the interim superintendent that amount of money shows it’s a matter of allocation and priorities.

Hinting that district leaders are being scrooges, a group of teachers took a page out of “A Christmas Carol” and dressed as ghosts.

“By closing these doors, you destroyed the heart of community. Families see no future, pack their cars and  leave behind empty houses and desolate streets,” one teacher said.

While only Central is closing this year, Sunnyslope could close at the end of the 2028-2029 school year. Berry could close at the end of the 2031-2032 school year.

A 49-year-old teacher at Christian High School, suspected of sexually abusing a minor, was arrested Tuesday outside the Spring Valley school affiliated with Shadow Mountain Community Church.

Kevin G. Conover was booked at the San Diego Central Jail on suspicion of oral copulation with a victim under 18, aggravated sexual abuse of a child under 14,  three counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child, and continuous sexual abuse of a child, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies initially responded to a radio call regarding sexual assault allegations of a minor by a family member on Oct. 1, prompting an immediate investigation by Child Abuse Unit detectives, who later found probable cause to arrest Conover, sheriff’s officials said.

Conover was described as a teacher at the school in Tuesday’s statement from the sheriff’s office announcing his arrest. However, there were no references to him on the school’s website on Tuesday night.

The investigation remains ongoing by the Child Abuse Unit as investigators conduct a follow-up into the allegations.

Anyone with information regarding the alleged abuse was urged to call the Child Abuse Unit at 858-285-6112. Calls after business hours should be directed to 858-868-3200. Tipsters who remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.

Housing developer National CORE, the San Diego Housing Commission, the county and city of San Diego celebrated the grand opening Tuesday of a 100-unit affordable housing community in San Ysidro.

The Iris, 1663 Dairy Mart Road, is across the street from a trolley stop and the newly renovated Howard Lane Park. It features 42 one-bedroom, 32 two-bedroom, and 25 three-bedroom apartments for low-income families and individuals, along with a manager’s unit.

“I am proud to support The Iris at San Ysidro because it reflects the kind of thoughtful development our region needs,” said San Diego County Supervisor Paloma Aguirre. “It is housing that is affordable, sustainable and connected to parks, transit and community services.”

Residents at The Iris have “extremely low,” to low income making anywhere from 25% to 60% of the Area Median Income. AMI is $130,800 for a family of two, $165,500 for a family of four, according to the county’s figures.

The Iris includes 15 permanent supportive housing units for people who have experienced homelessness and 50 apartments designed to support residents with mobility challenges and five homes for people with hearing loss.

All units at The Iris will be required to remain affordable for 55 years for households with income up to 60% of San Diego’s Area Median Income.

SDHC awarded 25 housing vouchers to The Iris to help pay rent for residents with extremely low income. These vouchers are tied directly to this development, so that when a household moves on, the voucher stays to help another household with extremely low income.

The project was developed by National CORE and featured public/private partnerships, such as a county investment of $5 million from the Innovative Housing Trust Fund and $6.5 million in No Place Like Home funds. County Behavioral Health Services will also provide supportive services to residents for the next 20 years.

The Iris includes a community room with office space, a laundry room and a courtyard play area with outdoor seating.

City News Service contributed to this article.