Sausalito Elementary School District

A crucial audit of this town's wealthy but racially polarized school district found a "system in crisis," plagued with high turnover in the administration, a curriculum that verges on "chaos" and teachers who fail in the classroom.

A crucial audit of this town's wealthy but racially polarized school district found a "system in crisis," plagued with high turnover in the administration, a curriculum that verges on "chaos" and teachers who fail in the classroom.

There is agreement on one thing here on the lush seacoast of immaculate Marin, California's richest and perhaps loveliest county: The local school district is in terrible trouble. In this region of tall trees and big houses, fancy cars and fair complexions, nearly a third of the students in the district are in special education classes, overall performance is way below state standards and tempers are near the boiling point.

There is agreement on one thing here on the lush seacoast of immaculate Marin, California's richest and perhaps loveliest county: The local school district is in terrible trouble. In this region of tall trees and big houses, fancy cars and fair complexions, nearly a third of the students in the district are in special education classes, overall performance is way below state standards and tempers are near the boiling point.