Latest counts show some Solano races still too close to call – The Reporter

By Kimberly K. Fu

In Solano County provisional ballots in all races continue to be counted, so no official winners can be declared though front-runners are apparent.

Following are the latest counts for some of the major races in Vacaville, Dixon and Solano County as of Thursday’s update by the Solano County Registrar of Voters Office.

Source: Latest counts show some Solano races still too close to call – The Reporter

LaTyna Young, Christy Gardner win Vallejo school board races – Times-Herald

By Katy St. Clair

LaTyna Young has been elected to the Vallejo Unified School Board and incumbent trustee Christy Gardner has held on to her seat after results were final after Election Night.

Trustee Robert Lawson has lost his bid for re-election.

Young is a Vallejo native and a long time educator. Both Young and Gardner received the endorsement of the Vallejo Education Association (VEA).

Young received 64.41 percent of the vote in Area 4 and Gardner received 47.84 percent of the vote in Area 2.

Source: LaTyna Young, Christy Gardner win Vallejo school board races – Times-Herald

How P.E. teachers are trying to get students off the couch during the pandemic – The Reporter

By Carolyn Jones, EdSource

Imagine trying to work out in a crowded living room, with no exercise equipment besides rolled-up socks and soup cans.

For many students in California, that’s what physical education class looks like these days. Since campuses closed in March, P.E. teachers are scrambling for creative ways to keep students physically active — with no gymnasiums, sports fields or playgrounds — at a time when experts say students’ physical and mental health is paramount.

Source: How P.E. teachers are trying to get students off the couch during the pandemic – The Reporter

Area school board races appear to be settled – The Reporter

By Richard Bammer

Based on the latest election results posted Wednesday by the Solano County Registrar of Voters, many area school boards will feature new trustees.

With all 15 precincts reporting in Travis, which oversees two elementary schools in Vacaville, Foxboro and Cambridge, the apparent winner of the trustee Area 1 is Meghan M. Thompson, a district parent, who received 6,059 votes, or 68 percent of 8,968 votes cast. Challenger Renell L. Travis, a U.S. airman stationed at Travis Air Force Base, received 2,909 votes, or 32 percent, of the total.

Source: Area school board races appear to be settled – The Reporter

Welsh, Kitzes keep their leads in Vacaville Unified races – The Reporter

By Richard Bammer

In early mail-in ballot returns, Kelly Welsh and Michael Kitzes jumped out to significant leads and held them later in the late-evening hours Tuesday in the Vacaville Unified races for areas 6 and 7, respectively, in the school district’s first-ever by-area election.

At 11:32 p.m., the Solano County Registrar of Voters, in a fourth update and posting, with some Election Day ballots counted, reported that Welsh had gained 2,322 votes, or 57 percent of some 4,098 votes cast, and Tracee Stacy, a current governing board member and publisher, trailed with 1,776, or 43 percent, of the total at the time.

“I feel pretty good at this time,” Welsh, an attorney and mother of two, said after the first ballot tabulation and post. “I would say that I’m definitely encouraged by the level of support that I’m receiving.”

Source: Welsh, Kitzes keep their leads in Vacaville Unified races – The Reporter

Maseda, Bowen apparent victors in Dixon school board race – The Reporter

By Nick Sestanovich

An incumbent and a newcomer are the apparent winners in the Dixon school board election.

With all precincts reporting, Trustee Melissa Maseda leads at 40.01 percent followed by David Bowen, a math teacher at Armijo High School in Fairfield, at 33.22 percent. Board President Luke Foster fell short of another term with 26.77 percent of the vote so far.

Maseda was happy that the voters appeared to have given her another term.

Source: Maseda, Bowen apparent victors in Dixon school board race – The Reporter

California school districts revert to A-F grades this fall — The Reporter

By Ali Tadayon, EdSource

While many high schools and middle schools adopted pass-fail grading at the start of the pandemic in order to hold students harmless as they adjusted to distance learning, districts have largely reverted back to the traditional A-to-F system.

But now that students are receiving their fall progress reports, it appears as though in at least some districts, many students’ grades are slipping. Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Austin Beutner announced Monday that the number of middle school and high school students receiving Ds and Fs so far this year has increased compared to last year. In Sonoma County, the number of high school students failing classes is so much higher than previous years that Steven Herrington, the county schools superintendent, convened a summit of district leaders last week to discuss the issue, and will meet again this Thursday.

Source: California school districts revert to A-F grades this fall — with more flexibility for some students – The Reporter

Solano County Election Day Results – Daily Republic

By Glen Faison

Bonnie Hamilton and incumbent Amy Sharp were in a tight race for the Area 2 seat on the Solano County Board of Education, Hamilton with 49.86% of the vote to Sharp’s 49.75% with 28 votes separating the two candidates from the more than 25,000 ballots counted and all 94 precincts reporting.

Source: Solano County Election Day Results

Vallejo High’s Dommanic Bell could again play three sports – Times-Herald

By Matt O’Donnell

At this time of the year in 2019, the Vallejo High School football team already played its final game.

In 2020, the Redhawks haven’t even gotten started.

That hasn’t stopped players like Dommanic Bell from dreaming about what might happen. Practice for North Coast Section schools is scheduled to begin on Dec. 7, and the Redhawks’ first official game is Jan. 7 at Kennedy. The California Interscholastic Federation postponed all fall sports throughout the state with the football season pushed to the next calendar year.Once Vallejo Unified School District officials give their OK, the Redhawks can start conditioning as well.

Source: Vallejo High’s Dommanic Bell could again play three sports – Times-Herald

Solano County high school music students miss playing together – The Reporter

By Matt Sieger

Mary Poppins barely got her feet off the ground.

In March the Will C. Wood High pit orchestra had completed just one performance of its spring musical when the COVID-19 pandemic shut everything down.

“It was devastating because all this time and effort into this huge performance and we got through this one show and they say we can’t do it anymore,” recalled senior viola player Reagan Cargill. “We had a few weeks or months where we just had no idea what was going on. It was very confusing and stressful.”

Source: Coronavirus: Solano County high school music students miss playing together – The Reporter

Solano students can sign up for 2021 STEM competition – Daily Republic

The 2021 Solano County Science and Engineering Fair competition is going virtual.

Hosted by the Solano County Office of Education, Solano County students, in third through 12th grades, are encouraged to enter this STEM competition and apply online no later than 3 p.m. March 1.

“Now more than ever, it is vital that our elementary, middle and high school students have an opportunity to apply science and engineering skills, investigate theories, gather and evaluate evidence, and develop their own intelligent conclusions,” Solano County Superintendent of Schools Lisette Estrella-Henderson said in a statement. “We hope this year’s science fair inspires more students to explore careers in science, engineering or related fields.”

Source: Solano students can sign up for 2021 STEM competition

Applications open for SCOE’s Science and Engineering Fair – The Reporter

By Nick Sestanovich

Solano County students adept in the fields of science and engineering will have an opportunity to show off their skills.

Applications are now open for the 2021 Solano County Science and Engineering Fair competition, which will be held virtually.

The event aims to help students develop inquiry and problem-solving skills, spark a passion for science and engineering, and help the youth be better prepared to enter STEM fields and other associated areas.

“Now more than ever, it is vital that our elementary, middle, and high school students have an opportunity to apply science and engineering skills, investigate theories, gather and evaluate evidence, and develop their own intelligent conclusions,” Lisette Estrella- Henderson, Solano COunty superintendent of schools, said in a statement. “We hope this year’s science fair inspires more students to explore careers in science, engineering, or related fields.”

Source: Applications open for Solano County Office of Education’s Science and Engineering Fair – The Reporter