Category Archives: Vacaville Unified School District

Middle School music teacher joins Beatles Guitar Project concert |  dailyrepublic.com

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A Willis Jepson Middle School teacher will perform Friday at the Vacaville Performing Arts Theatre in a concert that will raise funds for the school.

Justin Au plays the trumpet with the Beatles Guitar Project as it presents “Abbey Road.”

The Beatles Guitar Project is Northern California’s touring Beatles Rock Orchestra, featuring a professional string section, brass and woodwinds; as well as vocalists, backing vocalists and guest vocalists.

Source: Middle School music teacher joins Beatles Guitar Project concert | News | dailyrepublic.com

Willis Jepson Middle School opens new mental health center | abc10.com

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By Krys Shahin

A Vacaville Girl Scout troop created a wellness “zen den” for Willis Jepson Middle School students after noticing themselves and their peers struggling with mental health through the pandemic.

Troop 20113 consists of lifelong friends Amy Borchert, Cailtlin McGee, Lily Coble, Ayanna Elias and Nikki Magiera who wanted to help students like themselves have a safe place to decompress from the stress of their studies. The girls have known each other since preschool and banded together to create the Jaguar Zen Den.

Source: Willis Jepson Middle School opens new mental health center | abc10.com

Keeping things rolling – The Vacaville Reporter

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By Nick McConnell

When your tire goes flat, quotations from Shakespeare or the quadratic formula are unlikely to help you solve the problem. But something Vacaville Unified School District high schoolers learn in their automotive classes just might.

Chip Reeves, Automotive Technology Instructor at Will C. Wood, has been teaching automotive classes at the school for nine years so far, after teaching similar classes for about four years in Southern California. He also teaches for Solano Community College as an automotive instructor, and students from VUSD high schools can participate in those classes as well after school.

This year, Reeves has about 125 students from across two levels of automotive classes. In Auto One, students spend three class periods a week in the classroom, studying automotive concepts, then work in the shop for two days a week, applying their knowledge in practical ways.

Source: Keeping things rolling – The Vacaville Reporter

VUSD Trustees hear library updates, public commenters – The Vacaville Reporter

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By Nick McConnell

The Vacaville Unified School District Board of Trustees received updates to plans for a new library during its Thursday meeting.

Library officials told the board about planned additions, including an adult reading room, space for outdoor programming, and other updated furnishing. A temporary library space will be made available until the project is fully completed.

Superintendent Ed Santopadre announced former principal Adam Rich as Senior Director of Facilities Maintenance.

Source: VUSD Trustees hear library updates, public commenters – The Vacaville Reporter

Nomination deadline for Vaca school district special election is today | dailyrepublic.com

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The deadline for filing candidate papers is 5 p.m. today (Sept. 22) for the Dec. 19 special election for Trustee Area 6 on the Vacaville Unified School District board.

The only candidate to complete the filing requirements as of Thursday, Amy Tran Russell, is also the candidate the school board had appointed to fill the vacancy prior to a protest petition being filed with the Solano County Office of Education, which forced the special election.

Tracee Stacy has taken out nomination papers, but has yet to file them, the Solano County Registrar of Voters Office reported.

Source: Nomination deadline for Vaca school district special election is today | News | dailyrepublic.com

Last of ballots tallied on Vaca Unified special election | dailyrepublic.com

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The last of the late-arriving mail-in ballots have been tallied in the special election for the Trustee Area 4 seat on the Vacaville Unified School District board.

The 59 ballots that were postmarked by the Sept. 12 election day, but arrived at the county Election’s Office through Tuesday, did not change the outcome. In fact, the winner, Lindsay Kelly, padded her advantage.

Kelly had 454 votes after election day, and finished with 487 or 46.47% of the vote. Dave McCallum added 20 votes to his election day total, finishing with 436 votes (41/6%) and Michael Martin totaled 125 votes (11.93%), six more than election day. The turnout was 12.28% of the 8,570 registered voters in the trustee area, the county reported.

Source: Last of ballots tallied on Vaca Unified special election | News | dailyrepublic.com

Kelly wins seat on Vacaville Unified school board | dailyrepublic.com

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Lindsay Kelly appears to have won the Trustee Area 4 seat on the Vacaville Unified School District board, narrowly defeating Dave McCallum by 38 votes in a special election that drew an 11.58% turnout.

The unofficial tally as of Wednesday had Kelly with 454 votes, or 45.9% of the 993 ballots cast. McCallum finished with 416 votes (42.06%) and Michael Martin was third with 119 votes (12.03%).

There are 8,570 registered voters in the trustee area, the county reported.

Source: Kelly wins seat on Vacaville Unified school board | News | dailyrepublic.com

County to run second Vacaville Unified special election | dailyrepublic.com

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The Solano County supervisors agreed to have the county run a special election to decide who will represent Trustee Area 6 on the Vacaville Unified School District board.

The consent agenda action came Tuesday, the same day a special election was being held to decide who will represent Trustee Area 4 on that same school board.

Both are the result of protest petitions being filed with the Solano County Office of Education after the school board had appointed individuals to the posts, and are led by a group that does not think their voices – marked as parents – are being heard by the district on critical issues.

Source: County to run second Vacaville Unified special election | News | dailyrepublic.com

Early returns favor McCallum, Kelly in Vacaville special school election | dailyrepublic.com

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The first vote-count Tuesday night in the Vacaville Unified School District Trustee Area 4 special election put Dave McCallum out in front, with Lindsay Kelly close behind.

The 8:24 p.m. results, inclusive to early mail-in ballots received, had McCallum with 192 votes, representing 44.34% of the 433 ballots counted at the time, the Solano County Registrar of Voters reported.

Kelly was second with 182 votes (42.03%) and Michael Martin was third with 59 votes (13.63%), the county reported.

Source: Early returns favor McCallum, Kelly in Vacaville special school election | News | dailyrepublic.com

Supporting Travis Air Force Base’s Five & Thrive | dailyrepublic.com

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By Sheila McCabe

The mission of Five & Thrive is to tackle the top five quality-of-life issues military families face because their quality of life is directly tied to the readiness, resilience, recruitment and retention of our armed forces.

The five areas that fall within Five & Thrive are (1) Childcare; (2) Education; (3) Healthcare; (4) Housing; and (5) Spouse Employment.

This summer, Dixon Unified School District, Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District, Travis Unified School District, and Vacaville Unified School District joined forces to address one of the barriers related to education – summer registration.

Source: Civic Leaders: Supporting Travis Air Force Base’s Five & Thrive | Lifestyle | dailyrepublic.com

Lindsay Kelly leads race for VUSD Trustee Area 4 – The Vacaville Reporter

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By Nick McConnell

Lindsay Kelly is expected to be named to the Vacaville Unified School District Board of Trustees Area 4 seat, after leading the vote tally in the special vacancy election held Tuesday.

As of 9:13 p.m., the Solano County Registrar of Voters released their final vote totals for the evening, which showed Kelly ahead with 453 votes. Dave McCallum followed with 416 votes, and Michael Martin came in third with 119 votes out of a total 988.

Vacaville Parents United, a local interest group for parents, held a petition drive to force this special vacancy election. The election cost the district an estimated $113,000 to the district, which Superintendent Ed Santopadre said would come out the district’s general fund.

Source: Lindsay Kelly leads race for VUSD Trustee Area 4 – The Vacaville Reporter

VUSD releases 2023-24 enrollment data – The Vacaville Reporter

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By Nick McConnell

The Vacaville Unified School District’s enrollment numbers are up over last year by over 100 students, Superintendent Ed Santopadre announced last week at the September VUSD board of trustees meeting.

Without counting charter school students, the district has a total of 11,345 students this fall, up from 11,181 last year, marking an increase of 164 students.

Vacaville High School reported 2,030 students this year, and Will C. Wood reported 1,701.

Source: VUSD releases 2023-24 enrollment data – The Vacaville Reporter

Who will win VUSD’s Trustee Area 4 seat? – The Vacaville Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

Who among three candidates will win a seat to represent Vacaville Unified’s Trustee Area 4 on Tuesday?

That’s when voters will decide the outcome of a special election for a post vacated by a petition drive earlier this year.

Those seeking the seat are former VUSD trustee David McCallum, 63, a local radio broadcaster who was appointed to the governing board when another member resigned but was forced out by the petition drive. Others are Michael W. Martin, 41, a local real estate broker; and Lindsay Kelly, 44, an insurance claims adjuster.

Source: Who will win VUSD’s Trustee Area 4 seat? – The Vacaville Reporter

VUSD trustees discuss fentanyl prevention, centralized kitchen plans – The Vacaville Reporter

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By Nick McConnell

The Vacaville Unified School District Board of Trustees met Thursday night for its regular September meeting to discuss fentanyl prevention in schools, enrollment numbers and plans for a new centralized kitchen facility for the district.

Superintendent Ed Santopadre started off his comments with introductions for two new staff members. Isabell Ott a new lead mental health clinician, is committed to the development of students’ emotional needs, and Laura Roberts will serve as assistant principal at Callison Elementary this year, focused on fostering positive relationships between students, families and teachers.

Enrollment numbers are up this year for VUSD, Santopadre said. Without counting charter school students, the district has a total of 11,345 students this fall, up from 11,181 last year, marking an increase of 164 students.

Source: VUSD trustees discuss fentanyl prevention, centralized kitchen plans – The Vacaville Reporter

Solar panels to save VUSD 55 million – The Vacaville Reporter

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By Nick McConnell

Students and parents at Vacaville High School might have noticed new solar arrays above the parking lot this fall, and while the shade they provide is nice, they’re doing a lot more than just keeping cars cool, according to district officials.

Kelly Burks, Associate Superintendent of the Vacaville Unified School District, said the district has added the arrays to 15 of its sites and made updates to much of its HVAC equipment at a total cost of $28.5 million. While that might seem steep, she said, the project will actually save the district almost $55 million over the coming 30 years, as they help combat rising utility costs from Pacific Gas and Electric.

Source: Solar panels to save VUSD 55 million – The Vacaville Reporter

VTA endorses experienced educator for VUSD trustee post – The Vacaville Reporter

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By Richard Bammer

The Vacaville Teachers Association has endorsed a UC Davis dean and former school teacher as a candidate in the VUSD Trustee Area 6 special election on Dec. 19.

Amy Tran Russell — a senior assistant dean for student affairs, earned two master’s degrees — an MBA from UCD and one in education from UC Santa Cruz. She also earned a bachelor’s degree in history from UCD, according to a teachers union press statement sent to The Reporter on Wednesday and information in her candidate statement.

Russell, 43, started her career teaching social studies for the Benicia Unified School District and coaching track and field. She then worked with high school students as part of a youth leadership development program for five years.

Source: VTA endorses experienced educator for VUSD trustee post – The Vacaville Reporter

Parents group members distribute flyers for VUSD school board election – The Vacaville Reporter

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By Nick McConnell

Armed with a new set of flyers and connections with a statewide group, members of Vacaville Parents United are canvassing outside of several city public schools and school events in the home stretch of the Vacaville Unified Trustee Area 4 special vacancy election.

Kathy Bettencourt, an administrator for the Vacaville Parents United Facebook Group, said her organization has been handing out two different flyers over recent weeks, looking to increase voter turnout and inform voters about their group’s endorsed candidate, Lindsay Kelly, an insurance claims adjuster. The group, which distributes the flyers outside schools at student pick-up times, gathered Tuesday evening to distribute them outside a back-to-school-night event at Browns Valley Elementary.

Vacaville Unified School District officials declined to comment regarding the distribution of these flyers.

Source: Parents group members distribute flyers for VUSD school board election – The Vacaville Reporter

VUSD area six election to be held December 19 – The Vacaville Reporter

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By Nick McConnell

With in-person voters in Vacaville Unified School District’s area four back from the polls after a special vacancy election in September, voters in area six will be gearing up for their own trip to the ballot box on Dec. 19.

The two elections are to replace Dave McCallum, who was appointed as area four trustee earlier this year, and Amy Tran Russell, who was appointed as area six trustee in July.

Lindsay Kelly, Michael Martin and McCallum are running for the Area 4 seat, and John Gardner, assistant registrar of voters for Solano County, said the window to file for the area six election will open on Monday, Aug. 28. The elections were forced by petition drives held Vacaville Parents United, a group that has been voicing concerns regarding VUSD issues over the past few years.

Source: VUSD area six election to be held December 19 – The Vacaville Reporter

VUSD area six election to be held December 19 – The Reporter

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By Nick McConnell

With in-person voters in Vacaville Unified School District’s area four back from the polls after a special vacancy election in September, voters in area six will be gearing up for their own trip to the ballot box on Dec. 19.

The two elections are to replace Dave McCallum, who was appointed as area four trustee earlier this year, and Amy Tran Russell, who was appointed as area six trustee in July.

Lindsay Kelly, Michael Martin and McCallum are running for the Area 4 seat, and John Gardner, assistant registrar of voters for Solano County, said the window to file for the area six election will open on Monday, Aug. 28. The elections were forced by petition drives held Vacaville Parents United, a group that has been voicing concerns regarding VUSD issues over the past few years.

Source: VUSD area six election to be held December 19 – The Vacaville Reporter

Seasonal dip in education jobs skew local job picture | dailyrepublic.com

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Solano residents appear to be finding work outside the county – or are they?

There were 143,500 jobs within Solano County in July, down from the prior month’s total of 144,800, the EDD reported. However, there were 1,000 more residents working – 192,600 in July compared to 191,600 in June, the Labor Market Information Division of the state Employment Development Department reported.

The job decline inside the county is due to the seasonal drop in local education jobs for the month prior to school gearing back up, again.

In fact, if the drop of 1,800 local education jobs is factored out, the local market actually created 500 new jobs, the EDD reported.

Source: Seasonal dip in education jobs skew local job picture | News | dailyrepublic.com