Sen. Bill Dodd’s college student food-insecurity bill signed by Gavin Newsom – Times Herald

By Times Herald

Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, had his student food-insecurity bill signed by the Governor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday.

The legislation addresses the growing problem of college student food insecurity by ensuring low-income students have reliable access to nutritious food through the Cal Fresh program.

“Food insecurity is a serious problem on California college campuses today and this is an important step to address it,” Sen. Dodd said. “My bill will ensure students of modest means don’t go hungry by making it easier for them to receive public assistance. Students shouldn’t have to starve in order to get an education.”

Source: Sen. Bill Dodd’s college student food-insecurity bill signed by Gavin Newsom – Times Herald

Pro tennis event at Solano Community College helps advance USTA program – The Reporter

By Matt Miller

Young tennis fans will get to learn about the game again this October when the NorthBay Healthcare Men’s ProChampionship returns to Solano Community College.

The professional tournament benefits the Chris Cammisa Tennis and Education Foundation, a nonprofit that not only helpedestablish the men’s and women’s tennis programs at Solano College, but also provides tennis and a related educational program tounderserved youth in Solano County.

One of the ways of reaching out to youth during the tournament is by using the U.S. Tennis Association’s Net GenerationProgram. The mission of “Net Gen” is to introduce children to tennis — a sport they might not normally be exposed to but couldpotentially play the rest of their lives. Racquets, balls and pop-up nets are all provided.

Source: Pro tennis event at Solano Community College helps advance USTA program – The Reporter

Pentecostals of Vacaville holding backpack giveaway ahead of back to school – The Reporter

The Pentecostals of Vacaville will be holding a backpack giveaway Saturday featuring 100 backpacks filled with school supplies.

“We want to be a blessing to our community, and as kids go back to school sometimes they are without proper supplies,” Emilio Garza, administrative pastor of the Pentecostals of Vacaville, said in a statement.

The giveaway will take place 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at 635 William St. For more information, visit facebook.com/events/370128380373016/.

Source: Pentecostals of Vacaville holding backpack giveaway ahead of back to school – The Reporter

Fairfield-Suisun USD Calendar 2019-20 – Patch.com

The first day of school in Suisun City is Monday, Aug. 26 — and whether you and the kids are looking forward to the new school year or are dreading the end of summer, you’ll want to mark the date on your calendar ASAP.

The Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District has released its 2019-2020 calendar. Embedded below in English and in Spanish, the calendar includes important dates such as fall, winter and spring breaks, holidays, early dismissals and parent-teacher conferences.

Source: Fairfield-Suisun USD Calendar 2019-20 – Patch.com

Dixon USD School Calendar 2019-20 – Patch.com

The first day of school in Dixon is Thursday, Aug. 8 — and whether you and the kids are looking forward to the new school year or are dreading the end of summer, you’ll want to mark the date on your calendar ASAP.

The Dixon Unified School District has also released its 2019-2020 calendar. Embedded below, the calendar includes important dates such as fall, winter and spring breaks, holidays, early dismissals and parent-teacher conferences.

Source: Dixon USD School Calendar 2019-20 – Patch.com

Benicia School Calendar 2019-20 – Patch.com

The first day of school in Benicia is Tuesday, Aug. 20 — and whether you and the kids are looking forward to the new school year or are dreading the end of summer, you’ll want to mark the date on your calendar ASAP.

The Benicia Unified School District has released its 2019-2020 calendar. Embedded below, the two-page calendar includes important dates such as fall, winter and spring breaks, holidays, early dismissals and parent-teacher conferences.

Source: Benicia School Calendar 2019-20 – Patch.com

Hackers’ Latest Target: School Districts – New York Times

By Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs

Some hackers demand ransom; others sweep up personal data for sale to identity thieves. But whatever hackers’ motives, school systems around the country have been the targets of their cyberattacks.

One attack forced the Houston County School District in Dothan, Ala., to delay the first day of school for 6,400 students. Others crippled computer systems at the Syracuse City School District in upstate New York and at three school districts in Louisiana.

Many public institutions, including hospitals, local governments and colleges, have been hit with ransomware attacks in recent years, but school districts have proved particularly enticing to hackers because they hold troves of private data and often lack the resources to fend off intruders.

Source: Hackers’ Latest Target: School Districts – New York Times

California Lottery earns $7 billion a year. But are schools getting a fair share? – Daily Republic

The state Legislature has added another audit to the list of investigations into the California State Lottery, this one based on questions over whether the agency is giving enough money to schools as required by state law.

The department has been under scrutiny since employees alleged misconduct among senior executives in an anonymous letter last summer to former Gov. Jerry Brown. The state Justice Department has launched an investigation, and the State Controller’s Office has identified inappropriate spending on travel. Agency director Hugo Lopez resigned in June.

Lottery revenues have “skyrocketed” over the last 10 years, reaching nearly $7 billion last year, but the share of money the agency gives to schools hasn’t kept up, State Sen. Ling Ling Chang, a suburban L.A. Republican, wrote in an audit request.

Source: California Lottery earns $7 billion a year. But are schools getting a fair share? – Daily Republic

Supervisor Vasquez partners with Travis Credit Union to host financial boot camp for young adults – Daily Republic

Solano County Supervisor John M. Vasquez (District 4) is proud to partner with Travis Credit Union on their upcoming Mad City Money financial boot camp for teens and young adults.

The free event will be held Aug. 2 at TCU headquarters, 1 Travis Way, in Vacaville and is designed to help young adults between the ages of 14 to 24 make smart decisions about budgeting, spending and saving in an assigned-life scenario. Participants visit “merchants” in Mad City to choose housing, transportation, necessities and wants. The goal is to simulate the realities of approaching financial responsibilities and give participants the tools to make sound financial decisions.

Source: Supervisor Vasquez partners with Travis Credit Union to host financial boot camp for young adults – Daily Republic

Upgrades, other work progressing as new school year nears – Times Herald

By Rachel Raskin-Zrihen

With the start of the new school year approaching, Vallejo City Unified School District trustees on Wednesday, learned that things seem to be running smoothly with the various campus moves and upgrades.

In his report, Superintendent Adam Clark said that the Widenmann Elementary School campus has been cleared, and everything moved to the new Solano K-8 school campus. The students and faculty of both will share that site, where construction is under way, with new play structures and new furniture going in. The John Finney High School site has also moved, he said.

These changes are part of a consolidation plan to adjust for declining enrollment and also to provide a facility for the Elite Charter School, that was approved by the Solano County Department of Education despite its being rejected by the Vallejo school board. Elite is the project of former Vallejo school superintendent Ramona Bishop.

Source: Upgrades, other work progressing as new school year nears – Times Herald

Donate backpacks, school supplies in Placer, Yolo and Solano Counties – ABC 10

Stuff the Bus, Solano County Office of Education

The Solano County Office of Education is collecting donations of school supplies for foster and homeless students. Officials from the office said they have identified over 1,400 homeless students and 400 foster students.

Donations can be dropped off until July 29 between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.at the Solano County Office of Education, 5100 Business Center Drive in Fairfield, and at Golden Hills Education Center, 2460 Clay Bank Road, Bldg. 2, in Fairfield.

Source: Donate backpacks, school supplies in Placer, Yolo and Solano Counties – ABC 10

‘Stuff the Bus’ program returns to help Solano homeless, foster students – Daily Republic

A Stuff the Bus event to provide school supplies to homeless and foster children in Solano County will take place Monday at two Fairfield locations.

Donations can be dropped off between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the Solano County Office of Education, 5100 Business Center Drive, or at the Golden Hills Education Center, 2460 Clay Bank Road, Building 2.

School districts during the past school year identified as many as 1,400 homeless students and 400 foster students, according to a statement released by the county Office of Education.

Source: ‘Stuff the Bus’ program returns to help Solano homeless, foster students – Daily Republic

Some local schools begin new academic year in two weeks – The Reporter

By Richard Bammer

Long gone is the notion that California schools begin their new year on the first day after Labor Day, and it seems some Solano County schools and school districts begin their new academic years earlier and earlier as the years pass by.

Still, it may surprise some to learn that two local charter schools and Dixon Unified schools open their doors in early August, while Vacaville and Travis unified districts begin in mid-August, while other districts start in late August.

Dixon Montessori, a K-8 independent charter, will welcome students on Aug. 7 at its North Almond St. campus, while Kairos Public School Vacaville Academy, a TK-8 independent charter on Elm Street in Vacaville, and Dixon Unified schools will begin Aug. 8.

Source: Some local schools begin new academic year in two weeks – The Reporter

Amended graduation requirements on Vallejo school board meeting agenda – Times Herald

By Rachel Raskin-Zrihen

Amended graduation requirements for the alternative high schools and more details about training for the Measure S Citizen’s Oversight Committee are on the agenda for discussion during Wednesday’s Vallejo Unified School District meeting.

The board is expected to vote on a $56,000 contract with a Trustee Melvin Iizuka, appointed by Solano County to keep an eye on its inner workings.

They are also expected to exercise the one-year contract extension option with Vavrinek, Trine, Day & Company, which joined with Eide Bailly LLP on July 15, 2019, to audit the district’s July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020 financials.

Source: Amended graduation requirements on Vallejo school board meeting agenda – Times Herald

TUSD officials post policy about free and reduced-cost school meals – The Reporter

By Richard Bammer

Travis Unified officials have announced their 2019-20 policy to serve eligible children free or reduced-cost meals if the household income is less than, or equal to, federal guidelines.

The meals, served every school day, are made available by the National School Lunch, School Breakfast and Afterschool Snack programs, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Under the guidelines, meals and milk are free depending on household size, Sonya Lasyone, the Fairfield school district’s chief business officer, noted in a press release issued earlier this week. A family of one, for example, qualifies with an annual maximum income of $16,237; a family of four with a maximum of $33,475; and a family of eight with a maximum of $56,459. For each additional family member, add $5,746 for the qualifying maximum.

Source: TUSD officials post policy about free and reduced-cost school meals – The Reporter

California’s after-school programs still waiting on cannabis tax money – The Reporter

By Brooke Staggs

Supporters of California’s publicly funded After School Education and Safety programs — which educate and care for nearly 500,000 low-income elementary and middle school kids — were encouraged in 2016 when they heard and read the ads that supported the state’s ballot measure to legalize the recreational use of marijuana.

The good feeling didn’t reflect how they felt about cannabis. It came because the Yes on Proposition 64 campaign told voters — in advertising and in a statement printed on the official statewide ballot  — that one of the first beneficiaries of tax revenue generated by regulated marijuana would be after school programs.

And those After School Education and Safety (ASES) programs really needed the help.

Source: California’s after-school programs still waiting on cannabis tax money – The Reporter

Silent alarms at schools may soon be required by federal law – Education Dive

By Amelia Harper

The School Violence Prevention and Mitigation Act of 2019 would not only require schools to install silent alarms, but it would also authorize the spending of $2 billion over a 10-year-period to identify security risks at schools and address any shortfalls.

School security has been high on the list of concerns for district leaders and state and federal officials. Most have agreed schools should take a more proactive approach to safety, but many of these measures cannot get off the ground without enough support and funding.

Source: Silent alarms at schools may soon be required by federal law – Education Dive

2019–20 Advance Principal Apportionment – CDE

The California Department of Education (CDE) certified the 2019–20 Advance Principal Apportionment (Advance) on July 19, 2019, pursuant to California Education Code (EC) Section 41330. The statewide total was $39,593,565,617. At the end of each month from July 2019 through January 2020, county treasurers will receive warrants that reflect state aid for Advance programs for local educational agencies (LEA). County superintendents of schools should advise school districts and charter schools immediately of this apportionment.

The 2019–20 Advance is apportioned on the basis of an LEA’s Second Principal Apportionment (P-2) funding from the preceding fiscal year pursuant to EC Section 41330 and funding appropriations provided in the 2019–20 Budget Act and Senate Bill (SB) 75, Chapter 51, Statutes of 2019.

A summary of the Advance calculations is described below. This letter, as well as Excel files that provide funding and monthly payment amounts, are available on the CDE website at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/pa/pa1920.asp. Additionally, the CDE has posted the 2019–20 Funding Rates and Information web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/aa/pa/ratesandinfo.asp.

Source: 2019–20 Advance Principal Apportionment – CDE

New principal, familiar face at Winters High School this fall – Winters Express

By Crystal Apilado

Although John Barsotti is a newcomer to this year’s administration at Winters High School, he is not a stranger to the majority of staff and students there. Serving as the new principal at WHS Barsotti is already familiar with most of the students as their previous principal at Winters Middle School. Some of the WHS staff previously worked with Barsotti when he served as the WHS vice principal for five years starting in 2005.

He said this familiarity puts him in a unique position to jump start his new role at the high school. He’s walking into a setting where there’s very few people he doesn’t already know or who don’t know him.

“There’s a lot less anxiety on both ends since we’re familiar with each other,” said Barsotti.

Source: New principal, familiar face at Winters High School this fall – Winters Express

Isom announces candidacy for 5th District supervisor – Daily Republic

By Todd R. Hansen

The Rev. David Isom, an elected trustee with the Fairfield-Suisun School District and senior pastor at St. Stephen Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, on Tuesday said he will seek the 5th District 5 seat on the Solano County Board of Supervisors.

Isom said he will make his formal announcement at an event that’s scheduled Aug. 4.

The pastor noted mental illness and its ties to homelessness as a key issue for why he is running. He said he also wants to better connect the “silos” of nonprofits and other groups that are working independently on the same issues.

Source: Isom announces candidacy for 5th District supervisor – Daily Republic