By Sarah Rodriguez
Charlotte Sanchez readily admits that, like so many other 20-somethings, she “started out now knowing what I wanted to do with my life.”
At Dan Mini Elementary School, they’re certainly glad Sanchez figured it all out.
Sanchez was named this week as the Vallejo City Unified School District’s Teacher of the Year, an honor she was unanimously nominated for.
Source: Charlotte Sanchez is Vallejo Teacher of the Year – Times Herald Online
By Sarah Rodriguez
First came the election for John Fox. Now comes the hard part.
The six-year Vallejo City Unified School District board member, elected in November as the board’s president, faces a myriad of difficult issues, from potential school closures to decreased attendance to possible budget cuts.
Outside the board, Fox is also a member of Vallejo’s 2×2 committee, consisting of two Board of Education delegates and two city council electives.
Source: John Fox takes over as VCUSD’s newest board of education president – Times Herald Online
By Zach Haber
Charlotte Sanchez, a fifth grade teacher at Dan Mini Elementary School, was named the Vallejo City Unified School District’s 2025 Teacher of the Year on Wednesday.
“It brings me great joy to receive this recognition,” Sanchez told the Vallejo Sun in an interview. “I’m deeply grateful for all the support I’ve received over the years.”
Source: Dan Mini Elementary teacher named Vallejo’s Teacher of the Year
Following its special board meeting on Wednesday, the Vallejo City Unified School District Board of Education updated its operations to ensure greater efficiency and focus on the district’s strategic priorities.
“These updates reflect our district’s commitment to continuous improvement, operational efficiency, and meeting the needs of all students and families,” Superintendent Ruben Aurelio said in a news release. “By returning to a familiar meeting schedule and refining our leadership structure, we are taking important steps to ensure that VCUSD remains focused on academic excellence and community engagement.”
Source: VCUSD updates operations, will conduct meetings on Wednesday in 2025
Vallejo broke with established leaders and moved to make a change in 2024, selecting a new crop of elected officials who will try and navigate the city’s complex challenges in the new year.
No incumbents were reelected to Vallejo City Council in 2024 as the city’s voters proved hungry for change, and a new city manager was appointed in May, opening the city to a new approach in governance.
Source: Year in review: Fresh faces will lead Vallejo in 2025
By Thomas Gase
The Vallejo City Unified School District Board of Education held its annual organization meeting on Wednesday nigh and swore in newly elected board member Dean Hodges and re-elected Trustee Dr. Latyna Young.
Hodges was elected this past November to serve his first four-year term representing Area Two on the Vallejo City Unified School District Board of Education.
Source: VCUSD swears in Young, Hodges at annual organization meeting – Times Herald Online
By Sarah Rodriguez
For a kid — and most adults — stepping foot into unknown territory, having to chat it up with random strangers, and being expected to forge lifelong friendships can sound like a nightmare.
For others, that nightmare is more like an improbable dream.
Source: Vallejo Special Education teacher wants to make students thrive – Times Herald Online
The Vallejo City Unified School District’s 7-11 Committee presented its final report at Wednesday’s Board of Education meeting, sharing three recommendations regarding district properties, although no vote was made on designating five proposed properties for surplus.
The five properties proposed for surplus are Mare Island Health and Fitness Academy, Loma Vista Environmental Sciences Academy, Vallejo Charter School, Steffan Manor Elementary and Pennycook Elementary.
Source: Vallejo school district’s 7-11 Committee shares final report
By Zack Haber
The Vallejo school board expressed hesitation with closing a school on Mare Island and drastically reducing the student population of a North Vallejo school during its meeting Wednesday, an indication that board representatives want to consider other plans.
A Vallejo City Unified School District committee tasked with studying possible school closures presented its report at Wednesday’s board meeting and recommended closing Mare Island Health and Fitness Academy and removing the middle school grades of Loma Vista Environmental Science Academy in an effort to improve the district’s finances. The committee also recommended that the board designate three other schools as surplus property, but the board declined to do so.
Source: Following public outcry, Vallejo school district could rework school closure plan
An increasing number of Vallejo City Unified School District students are regularly attending school a year after rolling out a plan to improve its students’ low attendance rates. Newly released data shows that the district has seen a drastic reduction in its chronic absenteeism rate, the rate of students who miss 10% or more of the required instructional days.
VCUSD’s chronic absenteeism rate skyrocketed after the COVID-19 pandemic began. In the 2018-19 school year, VCUSD’s chronic absenteeism rate was 24.1%. But during the 2021-22 school year, the first year the California Department of Education resumed publishing school absence data after the pandemic hit, its rate was 58.1%. While the district’s rate dipped in the 2022-23 school year, it remained high at 49.2%.
Source: Vallejo school district sees promising attendance trends
The Vallejo City Unified School District held its last 7-11 Committee Meeting earlier this week and approved three recommendations to present to the VCUSD Board of Education at the upcoming Board Meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 20 meeting.
Source: VCUSD’s 7-11 Committee approves three recommendations for Board of Education – Times Herald Online
Solano County’s voter turnout climbed up to 67.7% with 8,280 additional ballots counted Friday – up from 64.63%.
However, there were no lead changes in the local races as leaders in the closest contests, in fact, secured their advantages.
Two races for seats on the Fairfield City Council remain close, the outcome on three races for spots on the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District are not clear, yet, and the Vallejo mayor’s race and one seat on that council also have not been decided.
Source: Solano County election staff cuts into ballot pile | Solano County | dailyrepublic.com
By Nick McConnell
As voters across the country head to the polls to pick a new president, Solano County voters will make their voices heard in down-ballot races.
Vallejo voters will select a new mayor and will vote in city council districts one, three and five. Vacaville voters will weigh-in for contested city council races in districts three and five and will select new school board trustees in Vacaville Unified School District areas four and seven. Vacaville will also vote on Measure E, a school bond issue.
Source: Local races, issues on November ballot – Times Herald Online
By Sarah Rodriguez
Ruben Aurelio may. be the Vallejo City Unified School District’s newest superintendent, he is a veteran when it comes to educational administration.
Aurelio has spent his career serving communities in the East Bay — where, as a first-gen Latino, he feels he “can make the biggest difference.”
Also as a bilingual and bi-literate administrator, in his experience working with some of the East Bay’s marginalized communities, his unique cultural background has served him well.
Source: Sitting down with VCUSD’s newest superintendent – Times Herald Online
By Sarah Rodriguez
Benicia Veterans Memorial Hall was packed Wednesday morning for what U.S. Rep. John Garamendi’s calls, “the best thing we do every year.”
For the 11th time, Garamendi honored the top women leaders and visionaries in their communities. This year 42 female leaders, representing the 8th Congressional District, were recognized for their grit and dedication.
Presenting the awards, as always, was Garamendi and his wife Patricia.
Source: Women of the Year Awards 2024: Honoring Local Leaders – The Vacaville Reporter
By Thomas Gase
Looking to improve campus security, the Vallejo City Unified School District announced Thursday that it will be piloting a new safety system at Jesse Bethel and Vallejo high schools next week.
The Evolv system, beginning operation on Tuesday, aims to provide an additional layer of security during school hours, football games at Corbus Field and basketball games at Bottari Gym.
The Evolv Express system will be rolled out at Jesse Bethel on Tuesday. Corbus Field on Vallejo High’s campus will begin using it during the football game on Friday, Oct. 25. This is a free, one-year pilot program, and the district will evaluate its effectiveness before deciding whether to use it in the future.
Source: Vallejo City Unified School District pilots new security system – Times Herald Online
By Thomas Gase
Loma Vista Farm is celebrating its 50th anniversary — and with it another Harvest Festival.
The annual event, a longtime favorite, features families showing up as much as a half-hour early to experience train rides, a pumpkin patch, face painting, crafts, snow cones, and of course animals like chickens, horses, cows and alpacas.
“My favorite part about this event every year is seeing the kids,” Loma Vista Farm Events Chair Jennifer Shiner said. “I love seeing them getting the chance to experience and enjoy the farm in the middle of this community. The kids love the horses and the chickens are always a big hit with them. And I’m a big fan of the Apple Cider Press that we have. I love that the kids get a chance to see how stuff gets made or how stuff gets done.”
Source: Families enjoy animals, pumpkin patch at Loma Vista Harvest Festival – Times Herald Online
In recent years, elections for Vallejo City Unified School District’s Board of Education trustees have become increasingly uncompetitive. Starting in December, it’s likely that only one of the board’s five trustees will have faced an election opponent. The other four either will have run unopposed or were appointed by the board.
This year, Board President Latyna Young, who was first elected in 2020, is running unopposed, as is candidate Dean Hodges in Area 2, which represents North Vallejo. Someone could file paperwork as a write-in candidate before this year’s Oct. 22 deadline, but write-in victories, though not impossible, are extremely rare.
Source: Vallejo school board elections increasingly uncompetitive since adopting districts
By Thomas Gase
After seven years of being condemned, a new gym is finally coming back at 1 Positive Place on Mare Island.
Griffin Technology Academy Schools and Mare Island Technology Academy last week hosted the groundbreaking for the new gym, featuring staff and student speakers as well as local representatives and dignitaries. The new gym will allow students to have expanded space for physical education and also include additional classrooms.
The event came about a month after Griffin Technology Academies announced it had received approval from the Vallejo City Unified School District and signed a construction contract with a local general contractor.
Source: ‘Anticipation’ in the air at groundbreaking of new gym – Times Herald Online
Fitch Ratings — a global rating agency — has affirmed Vallejo City Unified School District’s issuer default rating at ‘A’ and its unlimited tax general obligation (GO) bonds at ‘AAA’. The rating outlook remains stable, and the rating has been removed from “under criteria observation.”
Affirming the district’s ratings shows Fitch’s confidence in the district’s economic stability and creditworthiness. The removal from “under criteria observation” indicates the district’s improved compliance with Fitch’s rating standards.
Source: Fitch Ratings affirms Vallejo City Unified School District’s rating – Times Herald Online