Monthly Archives: June 2025

Loma Vista Farm adding two new habitats – Times Herald Online

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By Thomas Gase

For 50 years Loma Vista Farm has become a staple in the Vallejo community by offering a quality experience of life for multiple animals. This past year the farm has worked on completing two new facilities that it hopes will help add at least another half century to providing more memories for the public.

The farm is just about finished with installing two new habitats, one of them a cow barn and the second being a chicken coup. The decision to make the two new habitats comes after realizing that many of the current facilities are old and outdated.

Source: Loma Vista Farm adding two new habitats – Times Herald Online

Cody Barr Awarded $27,000 Multi-Year Scholarship | Independent Voice

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Cody Barr, Dixon High School Class of 2025 graduate, is the Ernie and Mary Weyand Dixon Rotary Foundation Scholarship recipient for $27,000.Barr will attend Utah State University in the fall.

Barr will continue to receive this scholarship throughout all his higher education as long as he maintains a 3.0 GPA and majors in an agricultural-related field.

The Dixon Rotary Club is honored to be selected by Ernie and Mary Weyand to choose a student each year to receive their scholarship. The club wants to help Dixon students who want to pursue a higher education in an agricultural or agriculture-related field, so they set up a scholarship fund. Each year, a qualified student will receive a minimum of $25,000 as long as they meet the following criteria.

Source: Cody Barr Awarded $27,000 Multi-Year Scholarship | Independent Voice

VCUSD exiting state receivership 20 years after financial crisis – CBS San Francisco

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Officials with the Vallejo City Unified School District announced they will fully regain local control two decades after a financial crisis prompted a takeover by the state.

The district announced Monday that they will officially exit state receivership on June 30, following a multi-year process that included financial reforms and school closures.

“This is not just an administrative shift—it’s a full-circle moment for a district that has worked tirelessly to rebuild credibility, restore fiscal solvency, and center student success,” Superintendent Rubén Aurelio said in a statement. “Our entire community—educators, families, partners, and students—has contributed to this recovery, and we are ready to lead with discipline and vision.”

Source: Vallejo City Unified School District exiting state receivership 20 years after financial crisis – CBS San Francisco

School’s out, lunch is in – Times Herald Online

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By Robin Miller

While school may be out for summer, the kitchens at Vacaville Unified School District are still bustling with activity — and the lunch line is just as popular.

Thanks to the district’s Summer Meals Program, children 18 and under can enjoy free breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday at four locations throughout Vacaville. From savory main dishes to colorful fresh fruit and boxed items, the program is helping to bridge the nutritional gap that can open up when school lets out and the regular lunch program pauses.

Source: School’s out, lunch is in – Times Herald Online

Local high school students get scholarships from Travis Credit Union | dailyrepublic.com

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Travis Credit Union has shared the recipients of its 2025 Community Impact Scholarship during a virtual award ceremony.

Each graduating high school senior received a $2,000 scholarship to support their college education, in recognition of their academic achievements and dedication to community service.

The TCU Community Impact Scholarship program has awarded more than $637,000 to more than 400 students since it was established 21 years ago.

Source: Local high school students get scholarships from Travis Credit Union | News | dailyrepublic.com

Girls in Robotics Leadership camp sparks curiosity and creativity – The Vacaville Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

Jojo Rios, her black laptop computer on her one of her knees, placed her hand on a blue Linkbot that was supposed to whir, click and putter along on a 4-by-6-foot mat in front of her as teammate Zoey Harbath looked on.

Inside an annex building Friday morning at Solano Community College’s Vacaville Center, the two middle school students were showcasing the softball-size plastic bot encased around a small electric motor. Although nudged by hand, it did not seem to move on the mat, dominated by an image of a racetrack, with three of its four main areas designated by names such as Pit Stop, Debris Grid and Lookout Area.

Source: Girls in Robotics Leadership camp sparks curiosity and creativity – The Vacaville Reporter

TUSD board to review Superintendent’s salary, 2025-26 budget – The Vacaville Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

Travis Unified Superintendent Tiffany Benson’s amended contract and the school district’s 2025-26 budget are on the agenda when the governing board meets in open session Tuesday in Fairfield.

Trustees likely will approve the final first amendment to Benson”s contract, a four-year pact through June 30, 2029.

Agenda documents indicate her base salary is $255,000 and that she will receive a one-time payment of $6,000 no later than August of this year.

Source: TUSD board to review Superintendent’s salary, 2025-26 budget – The Vacaville Reporter

Move to GSL brought new level of success to Fairfield, Armijo athletics, and challenges | dailyrepublic.com

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Year one in the Greater Sacramento League is in the books for the high school athletic programs at Fairfield and Armijo with the reviews generally favorable by those involved.

Fairfield athletic director and head boys’ basketball coach Goli Tavissoli felt the departure from the Monticello Empire League provided more opportunity for the city schools to have success in the field of play. It also helped elevate school pride.

“It gave our kids an opportunity to feel what it’s like to win again,” Tavissoli said. “I loved what it did for the culture of our school. Our school has such a rich history that a lot of kids just didn’t know about.”

Source: Move to GSL brought new level of success to Fairfield, Armijo athletics, and challenges | High School | dailyrepublic.com

Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council wraps up its inaugural year – Times Herald

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By Sarah Rodriguez

Last week, the 11 Vallejo student representatives among the first Superintendents’s Student Advisory Council concluded their final meeting for the 2024-25 school year.

Their meeting marked the conclusion of the first inaugural council of its kind, bringing student voices to the Vallejo City Unified School District decision-making table. Throughout the term, students “successfully influenced district policy, provided valuable insights, and fostered a culture of student engagement,” said VCUSD Director of Communication Celina Baguiao in a press release.

Source: Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council wraps up its inaugural year

FSUSD launches innovative high school automotive internship program | dailyrepublic.com

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Two high school students have a head start on a sustainable career in transportation services.

The Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District has launched its first-ever paid automotive internship program. This initiative offers participants hands-on experience and industry exposure.

The pilot program runs through the end of the summer.

Source: FSUSD launches innovative high school automotive internship program | News | dailyrepublic.com

Press conference set to mark Vallejo City Unified’s return to local control – The Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

It lasted for more than two decades, but Vallejo City Unified officials are resting easier these days after paying back a $60 million loan from the state of California to deal with serious fiscal challenges and financial mismanagement.

And on June 30, those school district officials, county education leaders and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond will mark the day for the once-beleaguered district to officially regain full local governance.

Source: Press conference set to mark Vallejo City Unified’s return to local control

Dixon High Graduates Look to the Future | Independent Voice

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Dixon High School hosted its graduation for the Class of 2025 at 9 a.m. June 7.

Held at Finney Field, 555 College Way, the event honored 234 Dixon High seniors, including 16 distinguished scholars and 21 students who earned their state Seal of Biliteracy.

According to Jamie Otero, a cousin of graduate Seal of Biliteracy, June 7 was a happy day.

Source: Dixon High Graduates Look to the Future | Independent Voice

Solano school districts serve up free summer meals programs – The Vacaville Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

School is out. Yet for some children, hunger is always in and stomachs may growl, but not for long, as several Solano area school districts are offering free summer meals, breakfast and lunch in most cases, until classes resume in August.

Source: Solano school districts serve up free summer meals programs – The Vacaville Reporter

Vallejo graduates ‘ready to make an impact’ – Times Herald Online

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By Thomas Gase

Vallejo High School seniors Robert Guzman and Tayla Franklin shared a kiss after walking down an aisle at Corbus Field on Thursday.

No, it wasn’t a wedding, and it was a nice convenience the two were walking together at the same time, but it was still a big deal for two students who just seconds earlier joined 259 of their classmates as graduates of the school’s 156th graduating class.

Source: Vallejo graduates ‘ready to make an impact’ – Times Herald Online

SCOE to host Girls in Robotics Leadership Camps at three SCC sites – The Vacaville Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

They will spend 90 minutes understanding principles from several different fields and applying them: mechanical and electrical engineering, computer science and mathematics.

And, at the same time, they will be schooled in leadership skills.

The Solano County Office of Education, with UC Davis C-STEM, will host Girls in Robotics Leadership Camps at the three Solano Community College campuses, beginning Friday.

Source: SCOE to host Girls in Robotics Leadership Camps at three SCC sites – The Vacaville Reporter

Letter Regarding California Laws Governing Athletic Competition(CA Dept of Education)

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On June 2, 2025, the Department of Justice (DOJ) sent a letter to many local educational agencies (LEAs) in California claiming that LEAs are “exposed to legal liability” if they comply with a California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) policy that requires that students have the opportunity to participate in CIF activities in a manner that is consistent with their gender identity. The DOJ letter asserts that the CIF policy violates the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution, and that LEAs “have an obligation” to certify to DOJ by June 9, 2025, that they will not “implement” the CIF policy.

In a letter to LEAs sent on June 3, 2025, Superintendent Thurmond stated that the California Department of Education (CDE) would respond to the June 2 DOJ letter on behalf of all California LEAs, and that we would provide all LEAs with an informational copy of this letter once it was sent.

Source: Newsroom (CA Dept of Education)

Mary Bird preschool teacher named Early Childhood Educator of Year | dailyrepublic.com

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Marisa Rubio, a preschool teacher at Mary Bird Early Childhood Education Center, has been named the 2025 Solano County Early Childhood Educator of the Year.

Rubio received the award at a ceremony held on May 16 at the Joe Nelson Community Center in Suisun City.

“We celebrate our amazing early childhood educators who go above and beyond for each and every student at Mary Bird,” said Anna Mansker, principal of Mary Bird Early Childhood Education Center. “It’s because of their time and dedication that our youngest learners begin their educational journey with a solid foundation and motivation to learn.”

Source: Mary Bird preschool teacher named Early Childhood Educator of Year | | dailyrepublic.com

Kimme Academy students celebrate new beginnings – The Vacaville Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

“This is where the bad kids go,” said Aaliyah Ramos Garcia, an Ernest Kimme Charter Academy senior, echoing a common belief among some people, that enrollment in Vacaville Unified school is the place where students like her end up, essentially at an alternative high school.

The second student speaker during the school’s Thursday graduation ceremony, Ramos Garcia stood on a stage at Jacob Wright Memorial Field at Wildcat Stadium, and looked toward a group of teachers seated on the 30-yard line.

Source: From at-risk to graduates: Kimme Academy students celebrate new beginnings – The Vacaville Reporter

Buckingham mints 97 new grads, a class of friends, principal says – The Vacaville Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

Samantha Working, principal of Buckingham Collegiate Charter Academy, said the legacy of the 31st graduating class “is their friendships with one another. They are really close to each other.”

Her remarks came minutes before the school’s 97 seniors walked onto the artificial turf Friday morning at Tom Zunino Stadium at Vacaville High, where the school’s commencement was held under a cloudless sky and temperatures in the mid-70s.

Source: Buckingham mints 97 new grads, a class of friends, principal says – The Vacaville Reporter