SOLANA BEACH — The Solana Beach School District board of trustees honored longtime instructor and health clerk Mireya Pope after she was found deceased in an apparent murder at her Vista home last month.
Pope, 60, worked in the district for seven years, including as a health clerk at Solana Highlands Elementary and a program instructor at the Child Development Center. In 2022, the Solana Highlands PTA honored Pope as the Classified Employee of the Year.
At the school board’s May 21 meeting, Board President Dana King said Pope’s passing is a profound loss for the Solana Beach School District, and led the room in a moment of silence in her memory.
“Mireya was not only a dedicated and valued member of our team but someone whose warmth, kindness, and unwavering commitment to her work positively affected the lives of so many—students, staff, and families alike,” King said.
Pope served the families in the district with compassion and excellence, leaders said.
“Let us carry forward the legacy of Mireya in our hearts and through the work we continue to do each day,” King said.
Outside of the school district, Pope was also an assistant teacher at LePort Montessori School in Solana Beach. The school did not respond to requests for comment from The Coast News.
Pope was discovered deceased in her Vista home on April 23 with “obvious signs of trauma,” according to law enforcement. Her son Malcolm Pope, 26, was arrested at the scene after an hours-long standoff with San Diego County Sheriff’s SWAT and Crisis Negotiations Team personnel, in which he barricaded himself inside the home.
Malcolm Pope is believed to have used a knife in the attack, and faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted. He has pleaded not guilty, and will return to Vista Superior Court on June 16.
Neighbors said they had concerns about Pope’s safety leading up to her death, and that Malcolm Pope had exhibited threatening behavior before. She obtained a protective order against him back in 2022.
