Category Archives: School Board – Vacaville Unified

Unofficial Solano election results are in; more to come – The Vacaville Reporter

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By Kimberly K. Fu

Election Day has come and gone, but results for races in Solano County are not yet set.

Why? Because there’s still thousands of ballots left to count.

According to the Solano County Registrar of Voters office, outstanding Vote-by-Mail ballots total 35,821 while outstanding provisional ballots number 1,671.

On Wednesday, staff focused full bore on processing ballots. An estimated 15,000 were ready to be counted while 13,000 more were ready to be verified.

Source: Unofficial Solano election results are in; more to come – The Vacaville Reporter

Schools election picture coming into focus after Day 2 of count – Daily Republic

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By Todd R. Hansen

Jack Flynn held a majority lead over incumbent Jonathan Richardson for the Trustee Area 5 seat on the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District board.

As of Wednesday, Flynn had tallied 963 votes, representing 51.5% of the ballots cast, while Richardson had 907 votes (48.5%), the Solano County Registrar of Voters Office reported.

The unofficial result is with all 10 precincts counted, but with mail-in and provisional ballots left to count.

Source: Schools election picture coming into focus after Day 2 of count

Vacaville People’s Forum livestream features one Vacaville school board candidate – The Vacaville Reporter

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By Zachary Cimaglio

What was billed as a candidate platform for Vacaville Unified School District hopefuls became a podium for just one when only one appeared at the virtual event Tuesday night.

Hosted on Zoom by the Vacaville People’s Forum (https://www.facebook.com/vvpeoplesforum), both Nancy Dunn and Jacqui Nguyen were invited but Nguyen did not appear. Dunn is running for school board in Trustee Area 1.

Albert Gutierrez, a Vacaville resident and Marine Corps veteran, asked about Dunn’s support of Measure Q, which would allocate nearly $230 million for renovation and updates at local schools.

Source: Vacaville People’s Forum livestream features one Vacaville school board candidate – The Vacaville Reporter

Communications specialist and former reporter runs for VUSD board – The Vacaville Reporter

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By Zachary Cimaglio

With new companies and career opportunities popping up in Vacaville, the city has become a melting pot of youth seeking jobs and long-term success.

To nurture this success, many students may need guidance from someone who understands their personal needs, a role which Jacqui Nguyen, a communications specialist and former television reporter, hopes to fill if elected to the Vacaville Unified School District school board.

Nguyen immigrated to the United States from Saigon, Vietnam in 1975 seeking educational and career opportunities for her and her siblings in the aftermath of the Vietnam War. She was part of the first wave of people migrating on boats from the war-torn nation in search of sanctuary and success.

Source: Communications specialist and former reporter runs for Vacaville Unified school board – The Vacaville Reporter

VUSD board candidate hopes to bring years of leadership to the district – The Vacaville Reporter

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By Zachary Cimaglio

One needs to look only as far back as a year or two, when the COVID-19 pandemic was at its peak, to see the kinds of unprecedented needs that the Vacaville Unified School District has had to rapidly adapt to.

This kind of versatility and understanding of the community is what school board candidate Nancy Dunn said she hopes to bring to the table in her campaign this year.

Should she win the election, Dunn said she hopes to make schools safer, more welcoming and more attractive for new hires who will be more likely to stay long term and make decisions based on the needs of their specific school.

Source: Vacaville Unified school board candidate hopes to bring years of leadership to the district – The Vacaville Reporter

Vacaville school board to consider changes to McClellan Street remodel – The Vacaville Reporter

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By Nick Sestanovich

Vacaville Unified School District’s improvement project for the longtime campus at 100 McClellan St. is moving along, but unforeseen circumstances during the project’s construction have resulted in a request to amend the funding amount.

The school board will consider a contract amendment to increase unforeseen conditions allowance and supplement the owner-requested changes allowance at Thursday’s meeting.

At its May 13 meeting, the board approved a contract with F&H Construction out of Lodi for improvements to the Buckingham Collegiate Charter Academy campus to the tune of $12.6 million, approximately $1.45 million below the construction cost budget. Additional roofing work was removed before the project went out to bid because it would have taken VUSD over its budget on the day of the bid, per a staff report by Daniel Banowetz, VUSD’s chief facilities, maintenance and operations officer.

Source: Vacaville school board to consider changes to McClellan Street remodel – The Vacaville Reporter

Divided Vaca board debates letter to governor on Covid vaccine mandates – Daily Republic

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3 trustees opt to send message under own names, not as formal board missive

VACAVILLE — The School Board this week during a special meeting mulled over the idea of sending a letter to the governor addressing concerns about the vaccine mandate proposed for implementation July 1.

Trustees split on the timing of the letter, with a board minority opting to send it anyway.

The letter being reviewed Thursday includes basic information on the Vacaville School District along with responses from a survey done of all families in the district about how they felt about the possible mandate.

Vacaville trustees to hear updates on future growth, school facilities costs that approach $600M – Daily Republic

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By Susan Hiland

The school board will take a look Thursday at future school site projects that come with an estimated cost of nearly $600 million.

The chief facilities, maintenance and operations 0fficer, Daniel Banowetz, will present the final draft of the district’s five-year Master Facilities Plan – a program of work that inlcudes an educated wish list of sorts for future projects.

Vacaville-area voters passed Measure A in 2014, a $194 million general obligation bond, to pay for technology upgrades, facility renovations and new construction within the Vacaville School District.

Source: Vacaville trustees to hear updates on future growth, school facilities costs that approach $600M

Jansen is new president of Vacaville school board – Daily Republic

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By Susan Hiland

John Jansen on Thursday was unanimously voted to the position of board president for the Vacaville Unified School District.

Elected as vice president was Michael Kitzes,who completed his term as president at the same meeting. The new clerk for the upcoming year is Daniel Santellan.

Superintendent Jane Shamieh will be the board secretary.

Source: Jansen is new president of Vacaville school board

Trustees to consider Vaca preschool funding strategy – Daily Republic

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School District trustees will consider approval Thursday of a plan to help secure future funding for the local preschool program.

Assistant Superintendent Sasha Begell has asked the school board to appoint Preschool Principal Lauren Hylton to serve as the applicant on behalf of the district for submission of a continued funding application for the California State Preschool Program.

This continued funding application is required by the state to serve as notification of intent to continue services for the next contract period.

Source: Trustees to consider Vaca preschool funding strategy

School board in Vacaville to review Covid safety plan – Daily Republic

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The school board will vote Thursday on an updated Health and Safety OSHA Covid-19 Prevention and Preparedness Program, as well as the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief III Plan.

This plan is a living document that will be amended as public health conditions, orders, and/or guidance change, according to a staff report.

Health and safety updates are regularly shared with students, staff and community members via the district website, weekly superintendent letters and blackboard communications.

Source: School board in Vacaville to review Covid safety plan

Vaca district staff seek leave to apply for state grant – Daily Republic

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A pair of school district officials will seek approval Thursday to apply for state funding to benefit the city’s schools.

Associate Superintendent Ed Santopadre and Director of Secondary Education Ali Eeds will request approval of the Educator Effectiveness Block Grant Plan for Vacaville School District schools and local charter schools.

The plans will support the professional development for teachers, administrators and paraprofessionals who interact with students.

Source: Vaca district staff seek leave to apply for state grant

Vacaville school trustees set to reorganize leadership – Daily Republic

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The School Board will reorganize its members Thursday to select a president, vice president and clerk.

Vacaville School District Superintendent Jane Shamieh will serve as secretary.

The Vacaville Library board will also select a president and secretary.

The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Educational Services Center, 401 Nut Tree Road and online on YouTube. The link is available through the school district’s website.

Source: Vacaville school trustees set to reorganize leadership

Vacaville school board votes to change salary schedules – Daily Republic

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By Susan Hiland

The school board voted unanimously Thursday to update salary schedules for classified and substitute teachers in the Vacaville School District.

Director of Human Resources Manolo Garcia requested the approval of the revised 2021-22 Classified Employee Salary Schedules, which include the reclassification of the School Bus Driver Instructor job classification.

The school bus driver instructor classification was reclassified from Range 42 to Range 48 on the salary schedule in order to provide competitive compensation as well as internal equity between the school bus driver classification, according to a staff report.

Source: Vacaville school board votes to change salary schedules

Vaca trustees vote to make changes to personnel titles, boost pay for VTA substitutes – Daily Republic

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By Susan Hiland

The Vacaville school board passed all proposals for updating salaries and classifications of personnel titles at Thursday night’s meeting.

Assistant Superintendent Chris Hulett had requested approval of a Memorandum of Understanding and an increase of $50 per day to the off-duty substitute rate for Vacaville Teachers Association members for the 2021-22 school year.

The increase reflects the same increase the district gave to regular substitutes earlier this year.

“This is a bit of housekeeping really. Several months ago we agreed to do this,” Hulett said. “This increase is for $50 for this year only.”

Source: Vaca trustees vote to make changes to personnel titles, boost pay for VTA substitutes

Vacaville School District to host public hearings on redistricting – Daily Republic

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The Vacaville School District governing board has begun its redistricting process to evaluate the 2020 U.S. census data and current trustee areas.

Public hearings related to trustee-area redistricting will begin at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 16 and Jan. 27 at the Education Services Center, located at 401 Nut Tree Road.

These hearings will provide information and gather public input on the potential changes to the trustee area map adopted Dec. 19, 2018. Maps, plan proposal submissions and other information can be found on the district’s webpage at vacavilleusd.org/CVRA.

Source: Vacaville School District to host public hearings on redistricting

Vacaville school board approves playground lease with neighboring school – Daily Republic

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By Susan Hiland

School board members have approved the proposed commercial lease with Shelley Dally Early Learning Village and Pleasant Valley School.

A commercial lease with Pleasant Valley School at the Shelley Dally Early Learning Village site was approved Thursday for the coming school year.

The agreement is a no-cost land lease for 880 square feet of play area space to be used by the Pleasant Valley School.

Source: Vacaville school board approves playground lease with neighboring school

VUSD Board set to consider Shelly Dally land lease plan, preschool grant requirements – Daily Republic

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By Susan Hiland

School Board members will consider items connected to the Shelly Dally Early Learning Village at the next regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.

The first issue is a request by the staff for approval of a commercial lease with Pleasant Valley School at the Shelly Dally Early Learning Village site. This agreement is a no-cost land lease for 880 square feet of play area space to be used by the Pleasant Valley School.

Pleasant Valley School is adjacent to the Shelly Dally Early Learning Village.

Source: Vacaville School Board set to consider Shelly Dally land lease plan, preschool grant requirements

Vaca school board delays final discussion on plan to spend nearly $10M in Covid relief funds – Daily Republic

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By Katy S. Clair

School board members put off a decision this week on how best to spend nearly $9.235 million in pandemic relief money.

Superintendent Jane Shamieh outlined how the district would use the money to:

  • Comply with Covid-19 guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
  • Address the impact of lost instructional time.
  • Respond to the needs of all students, particularly those disproportionately affected by the pandemic, such as low-income, unhoused and children and teens with special needs.

Source: Vaca school board delays final discussion on plan to spend nearly $10M in Covid relief funds

Parents, students sound off at Vacaville school board meeting – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

Thursday’s Vacaville Unified governing board meeting, with updates on the district’s pandemic-related safety plan, sports activities, and mental health on the agenda, drew 24 speakers.

All but one expressed a desire to quickly return to in-person instruction, citing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations, and some voiced antagonism toward employees unions’ cautious approach.

Parent Kristina Holden alluded to a district survey that she said indicated a majority of parents want schools to reopen. Addressing the seven trustees, she wondered if members of the Vacaville Teachers Union are more important than students’ wishes to return to in-person instruction in the district’s 17 schools that serve 12,500 students.

Source: Coronavirus: Parents, students sound off at Vacaville school board meeting – The Reporter