Trustee Highlights

At the August 5 Board meeting—the first Board meeting of the 2025-2026 school year—the Trustees lauded the Student Voices panel that took place at the August 3 Welcome Back Kickoff. The panel, organized by District Innovation Coordinator Krysta Bradley, brought together students from various schools to share their school experience and what they want the adults in their lives to know about being a student at this time in history. Their audience consisted of more than 800 staff members and invited guests. "These students, they tell it like it is," Trustee Amy Ish stated.

(Photo of the Trustees with Ms. Bradley [front row, lower left] and the Student Voices panelists.)

The Trustees acknowledged Laurel Wood Kindergarten teacher Veronica Espinosa, who over the summer attended Youth Mental Health First Aid Training and received certification as a Youth Mental Health First Aider. During the training, Ms. Espinosa learned about signs and symptoms of students going through a mental health or substance abuse challenge, and about the language to use to reduce stigma around mental health. Ms. Espinosa, in accepting her certificate of acknowledgement, encouraged the Trustees and all SCESD staff members to take the training, for the benefit of supporting student mental health needs.

The Trustees acknowledged and thanked Compass Church for its support of the District, including granting generous use of its facilities for larger events, such as the English Learner Reclassification ceremony for the past two school years, and the Welcome Back Kickoff that took place Aug. 3. In addition, Compass volunteers are meeting three mornings this week to stuff 3,500 new backpacks with new school supplies (see photo), to be donated to our students via our Family Resource Center.

The Trustees received a report from Amna Javed, District Director of Maintenance, Operations, Transportation and Bond Projects, about major upcoming construction projects that will be funded by Measures G&H, the two general obligation bonds that voters passed in 2022 to support SCESD students by funding school improvements.

• At Kamman and Sherwood schools, the project scope includes modernizing the existing kitchen and multi-purpose room, as well as rebuilding and adding space. The estimated construction budget for each school is $7 million.
• At Mission Park School, the project scope includes building a new multi-purpose room and kitchen, constructing a new staff parking lot and replacing five portable classrooms. The estimated construction budget is $23 million.

"Quick start" projects already completed include new exterior paint for Natividad, Sherwood (below) and Mission Park schools.

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Board President and Area 5 Trustee Jessica Powell, Vice President and Area 3 Trustee Belia Garcia, Board Clerk and Area 4 Trustee Amy Ish, Area 1 Trustee Art Galimba and Area 2 Trustee Jennifer Zanzot all attended the Aug. 3 all-staff event, held at the Compass Church auditorium on South Main Street.

The Trustees also began planning for their District work for the coming months, including upcoming school visits and in-person, town hall events that will take place in October.

The next regular Board meeting takes place on Sept. 16. All meeting agendas are posted to the District website the Friday before the meeting.