Robert Gage Carr

OBITUARY

Robert Carr was the youngest son of Milas Walter Carr and Grace Hamerly Carr. He lived his entire life in San Diego. He was beloved by many. A backyard memorial service will be held on Sep. 14, 2024. Contact his brother Michael for details ( mmcarr2@gmail.com )

Girls flag football

First contest: Saturday

Section finals: Nov. 21-23 (Playoffs will be in four divisions, up from two)

Defending champions: Bonita Vista (Division 1), Classical Academy (Division 2)

Offensive Player of the Year: Laurel Gonzalez (Torrey Pines)

Defensive Player of the Year: Mahilya Wilson (Bonita Vista)

Top teams (in alphabetical order): Bonita Vista, Brawley, Calexico, Cathedral Catholic, Classical Academy, Grossmont, La Costa Canyon, Mater Dei Catholic, Mira Mesa, Olympian, Our Lady of Peace, Morse, San Dieguito Academy, Torrey Pines.

Overview: The CIF introduced flag football as a varsity sport last year and it was a rousing success. The quality of play was beyond expectations. Success breeds success, and the sport has grown from 46 teams to 72 with the North County and East County schools jumping in.

Changes: Games have been lengthened from 20-minute halves to 24-minute halves.

Notable

• San Ysidro hosts a showcase Saturday, beginning with Calexico vs. Grossmont (10 a.m.), Southwest-El Centro vs. Kearny (noon), Central Union vs. Mira Mesa (2 p.m.), Brawley vs. Bonita Vista (4 p.m.) and Imperial vs. San Ysidro (6 p.m.).

• Escondido hosts a tournament on Aug 24 featuring Mt. Carmel, Santana, Carlsbad, Steele Canyon, Sage Creek and Poway. The same day, Hoover will host a tournament featuring Madison, Scripps Ranch, Morse, Mater Dei Catholic, Brawley, Central Union, Holtville, San Diego High and Mission Bay.

• For the first time, the annual Honor Bowl will feature flag games. Grossmont will play host Cathedral Catholic at 5 p.m. on Sept. 6; the next day, Bonita Vista plays Classical Academy at 1 p.m. at Cathedral Catholic. The Honor Bowl also features three top-flight tackle football games.

• Classical Academy led the county in scoring last season, averaging 30 points a game behind freshman QB Ella Moore. The Caimans’ defense allowed an average of just 4.5 points a game.

• San Ysidro returns six all-league players, including WR-DB Kristine Fadriquela and DB-LB Mia Gonzalez.

• Grossmont returns nine of 14 starters, including QB Marissa Farace, who threw for 2,181 yards and 33 TDs; and DB Xairiah Gromus, who had 19 interceptions.

• Bonita Vista returns All-CIF player Jamiya Valenciano; Khamaya Rockett, who had 10 sacks last season; and Layla Schoen, who had 43 catches.

• California is one of just seven states that offers flag football. The others are Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Nevada, Alaska, New York, Arizona and Illinois.

• Flag football for men and women will be an Olympic sport at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

Players to watch

(in alphabetical order)

Nurah Arrellano, Our Lady of Peace

Azul Amador, Central Union (7 receiving TDs, 9 interceptions in 2023)

Jennifer Aguas, Escondido

Justine Batcheller, Classical Academy (All-CIF in ’23)

Ashley Beard, Grossmont (38 tackles in ’23)

Siena Botkin, Grossmont, (4 interceptions in ’23)

Iris Brogan, Mission Bay (All-CIF in ’23)

Alegra Camacho, Mission Bay

Jaylah Conner, Central Union (All-CIF in ’23)

Demi Cornejo, Brawley

Isabelle Cruz, San Ysidro

Paula Cruz, Calexico (1,641 passing yards in ’23)

Yareli Del Rio, San Ysidro

Elly DeGuzman, Classical Academy

Belinda Diaz, Morse

Nia Diaz, Escondido

Lauren Donovan, Classical Academy

Eliana Dorsett, Oceanside

Jaylene Duran, Castle Park

Catie Eberhard, Scripps Ranch

Kristine Fadriquela, San Ysidro (1,112 passing yards in ’23)

Rhiane Fadriquela, San Ysidro (1,000 receiving yards ’23)

Marissa Farace, Grossmont (2,181 yards and 33 TDs in ’23)

Myesha Frank, Hoover

Kaylah Franke, Otay Ranch

Jacqueline Gonzalez, San Ysidro

Mia Gonzalez, San Ysidro

Kaila Gonzalez, Classical Academy

Paola Gonzalez, San Ysidro

Olivia Grant, Hilltop

Xairah Gromus, Grossmont (19 interceptions in ’23)

Emma Gryn, Classical Academy

Naomi Gutierrez, Escondido

Frankie Haley, Mater Dei Catholic

Mary Haynes, Classical Academy

Rita Hazard, Oceanside

Dayanna Hernandez, Mira Mesa

Shairya Hollingsworth, Morse

Jae Jensen, Grossmont

Anna Jimenez, Mater Dei Catholic

Isabel Johnson, Classical Academy

Keilana Johnson, Morse

Kaitlyn Kaye, Oceanside

Paola Longoria, Vincent Memorial (All-CIF in ’23)

Mia Maldonado, San Ysidro

Jessica Manriquez, Vincent Memorial

Liz Martinez, Oceanside

Mia Martin, Otay Ranch

Sam Mather, Scripps Ranch

Leilani Mayne, Calexico

Nayelli McPherson, Oceanside

Kaitlyn Milano, Morse

Courtyln Mitchell, Mission Bay

Ella Moore, Classical Academy (All-CIF in ’23)

Bre Montano, Vincent Memorial (All-CIF, 3,973 yards passing, 54 TDs in ’23)

Ella Moore, Classical Academy (All-CIF in ’23)

Bridget Moreno, Classical Academy

Madelyn Morquecho, Central Union (1,582 yards passing, 24 TDs in ’23)

Hannah Narcy, Oceanside

Kaila-Mei Nelson, Morse

Cassandra Neva, Morse

Chloe Ng, Scripps Ranch (All-CIF in ’23)

Jiselle Nunez, Classical Academy (All-CIF in ’23)

Bryanna Ortiz, San Ysidro (447 rushing yards in ’23)

Lizbeth Ortiz, Calexico (All-CIF in ’23)

Evelyn Estrada Ramirez, San Ysidro

Mia Ramirez, Bonita Vista

Mary Reger, Mission Bay (All-CIF in ’23)

Lana Roche, Castle Park

Khamaya Rockett, Bonita Vista

Saraya Roope, Grossmont

Liliana Sanders, Mira Mesa

Natalie Savary, Scripps Ranch

Marena Schiess, Mater Dei Catholic

Layla Schoen, Bonita Vista

Alyzette Sierra, San Ysidro

Ari Simpson, Grossmont

Hailey Stepenosky, Scripps Ranch

Jenna Stroh, Classical Academy

Vyanna Ta, Mira Mesa (552 rushing yards in ’23)

Sinalei Talaitina, Cathedral Catholic

Gabby Thomas, Grossmont (523 yards of total offense in ’23)

Sydney Tobias, Our Lady of Peace

Azul Trujillo, Vincent Memorial

Jamiya Valenciano, Bonita Vista (All-CIF in ’23)

Atiana Velazquez, Scripps Ranch

Emma Valdivia, Our Lady of Peace

Tayana Venegas, Brawley (1,025 receiving yards, 9 interceptions in ’23)

Vania Victoria, Olympian

Abby White, Escondido

Nylah White, Mira Mesa

Jayden Wilson, Oceanside

Delylah Young, Brawley (956 yards of total offense in ’23)

JOHN MAFFEI

Originally Published: August 16, 2024 at 9:43 a.m.

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — In South Park, a charter school named after a famous scientist just keeps growing.

Albert Einstein Academies even has a long waiting list to enroll — at a time when many traditional public schools are losing kids.

So, what’s the secret?

“I enrolled my kids at Einstein because the community aspect was so attractive,” said Amanda Rowe, who has two young kids at Einstein. “The students. The parents. The teachers. I feel like it’s a really safe, nurturing environment”

Rowe said Einstein offered her children an opportunity to learn German as well as the basics.

“The language provides them a chance to get to know other parts of the world and also expand their minds while their minds are so elastic,” she said.

Albert Einstein Academies, 3035 Ash St., opened in 2002, and it’s under the San Diego Unified School District.

In 1992, California became the second state in the nation to pass a charter school law. As of May, there were 1,283 charter schools and seven all-charter districts in California, according to the state Department of Education.

In 2022–23, nearly 12 percent of all public school kids were n charter schools.

Charter schools in California typically are under the supervision of a local school district.

What makes charters unique is they can offer parents a different type of education such as an emphasis on a foreign language to performing arts.

At Einstein, students can enroll in German or Spanish immersion programs, and there’s an international baccalaureate curriculum.

There also were new classrooms when school began Aug. 12.

“Our students, after a long time of being in in temporary housing, so to speak, now get to have modern, clean, up-to-date classroom,” said Superintendent David Sciarretta.

Enrollment has boomed so much at Einstein that the elementary campus has been under construction the past two years.

Einstein has been able to tap into school bond funds approved by San Diego voters to expand its campus.

Next comes a new high school that will be located about a mile away next to Einstein’s middle school, 458 26th St.

“Our high school will be opening in fall 2027,” Sciarretta said. “At full capacity, we will be just over 2,300 students.”

The enrollment growth at Einstein is similar to what has been seen at other charter schools in San Diego County.

There were 62,672 kids enrolled in charter schools about a decade ago. Last year, there were 84,431, according to school enrollment records.

That’s a roughly 35% increase.

Sciarretta said charter schools first became popular more than 30 years ago by giving parents an educational choice for their kids.

“Charters were billed as the kind of hothouse for innovation, for practicing, kind of new approaches, a new vision to education,” he said “We currently have just under 500 students on our waiting list.”

Sciarretta credits his teachers for the high demand at Einstein.

“Just a relentless focus on connecting with our families,” he said. “That’s really what makes people keep coming back. When parents walk on our campus, it’s inviting. It’s beautiful.”

However, the overall growth of charter schools in greater San Diego could be slowing down.

More families are home schooling their kids since the pandemic and that means fewer kids in public schools.

Richard Barrera has been on the San Diego Unified School District Board since 2008.

He said many charters are now facing the same enrollment challenges as traditional public schools, and the district has not seen “many new charter petitions” the past seven or eight years.

“The other thing that’s happening with both charters and district run schools is the housing affordability crisis is pushing families out of San Diego,” Barrera said.

However, Sciarretta said Einstein will continue to be an attractive option for parents.

In fact, he says the school has a bit of a secret weapon.

“We’ve been fortunate to have a pretty amazing namesake,” he said. “Who doesn’t want to send their kids to a school named after Albert Einstein?”