Community Update

It is with mixed emotions that I announce my retirement as the Superintendent of Schools for the Vista Unified School District, effective on June 30, 2027. It has been a true honor and privilege to serve the Vista Unified community for thirty six years. I love this district, and I love the entire community of Vista. My wife and I have lived in Vista my whole career. We have raised three amazing sons in this beautiful city. All three attended excellent Vista schools and are now successful adults living in Vista. I am so very grateful to all of the teachers, staff, students, and families that have supported my family and me for more than three decades. Thank you.

Since arriving in 1990-91, I have had the opportunity to serve students and families in eight different roles. I started my career in Vista as an elementary school teacher for fourteen years. During this time, I was able to teach students at every grade level (kindergarten through fifth) both in English and as a Bilingual teacher. In 2005, I had the honor of moving into an assistant principal role at Crestview Elementary School. Not long after that, I was asked to support the district as the Director of English Language Development. After a number of years in that position, I was asked to serve as the Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction. After many years in that position, I was asked to serve as the Executive Director of Special Education. After two years in that position, I was asked to develop a new department and became the Assistant Superintendent of Innovation. During this time, I also served as the Interim Superintendent for ten months. By June 2027, I will have served for nearly eight years as the Superintendent of Schools, being asked by the School Board to serve in October 2019. I provide this detailed summary of my career as an educator in Vista to illustrate the depth and breadth of the opportunities provided to me over the years. I am thankful for these opportunities.

During these many different leadership opportunities, I have witnessed and participated in countless experiences that define Vista Unified for excellence and innovation. As a learning community, we have celebrated many local, state, and national awards for academic achievement, received state recognition for innovation in personalized learning and technology, received national recognition for our strategic arts and music programs, become one of only ten school districts in the nation to be included in the XQ Super School program, received the California Golden Bell Award and the California Pivotal Practice Award for innovation in education, developed powerful partnerships with the Vista Chamber of Commerce, the City of Vista, Cal State San Marcos, UCSD, and SDSU, revitalized many schools with our local facility bond initiative, and became the first district in the County of San Diego to be awarded the Community Schools grant for twelve schools. And these are just a few of the incredible accomplishments the Vista Unified family has achieved over the past few decades.

Vista Unified is, and will always be, a destination district; a place where many doors were open for me to learn and grow as an educator. During this time, I have seen, firsthand, how the passion, dedication, and love this wonderful district provides has opened doors for students and families. As I reflect on my career, I always find myself smiling; reminded of a famous quote “It is the choices we make that determine the lives that we lead far more than our abilities.” I chose Vista, and I am eternally grateful for this choice.

Thank you all for supporting and believing in me as a teacher and as your superintendent. While retirement beckons, I will always wear that smile when passing by Vista Unified schools.

With Honor and Sincerity,

Dr. Matthew John Doyle

Superintendent of Schools

Click HERE to view the official announcement.

The Board of Education will be starting the transition process for selecting a new superintendent for the 2027-2028 school year during the November 12, 2026 Board Meeting. More details about the process will be shared in future Community Updates.

Vista Unified's three comprehensive high schools demonstrated strong academic achievement and remarkable student growth on the 2026 California state assessments and California School Dashboard. A key goal of California's state assessments is for students to reach grade-level proficiency by the end of high school, and Vista Unified's results show strong progress toward this goal.

All three high schools outperformed the state in English Language Arts (ELA) on the California School Dashboard and achieved graduation rates above the state average. Students also made substantial academic progress from middle school through high school, with significant increases in ELA proficiency from eighth to eleventh grade. All three schools improved on the Dashboard in mathematics and science, with several gains far exceeding statewide growth. Strong academic progress was also evident among student groups, including socioeconomically disadvantaged students, Hispanic students, and students with disabilities.

Vista High School achieved remarkable academic growth, improving 41.3 points in ELA on the California School Dashboard, compared with just 0.6 points statewide. The percentage of students meeting or exceeding ELA standards also increased by 30.6 percentage points from eighth to eleventh grade, while growth in mathematics and science exceeded statewide gains.

Rancho Buena Vista High School demonstrated significant student progress, with the percentage of students meeting or exceeding standards increasing by 28.5 percentage points in ELA and 16.4 points in mathematics from eighth to eleventh grade. RBV also exceeded statewide 11th-grade proficiency rates in both ELA and mathematics, and achieved more than twice the statewide growth in mathematics on the California School Dashboard.

Mission Vista High School demonstrated impressive academic achievement, with 88.1% of students meeting or exceeding standards in ELA, placing MVHS among the highest-performing public high schools in San Diego County. Achievement was also strong in mathematics at 51.9% and 66.5% in science, both substantially above statewide averages. Additionally, MVHS achieved an 83.6% college and career readiness rate, compared with 55.2% statewide, earning the state's highest Dashboard performance rating.

Together, these accomplishments reflect Vista Unified's continued commitment to improving student achievement, expanding academic opportunities, and preparing students for success in college, careers, and life.

This November, Vista Unified School District celebrates National Native American Heritage Month by honoring the histories, cultures, languages, and contributions of Native American peoples. Here in Vista Unified, we acknowledge that our schools are on the traditional homelands of the Payómkawichum, also known as Luiseño, and Kumeyaay peoples. We honor their enduring connections to this land and the Native communities that continue to shape our region today, including the San Luis Rey Band of Mission Indians.

For our students, this month is an opportunity to learn about the place they call home through Native voices. In our classrooms, students can read works by Native authors, learn from resources shared by local Tribal Nations, and explore how Native communities are sustaining and revitalizing their languages.

We celebrate the Native American students and families who are part of Vista Unified. Every student deserves to see their identity and community represented with care and accuracy in what they learn. We invite our school community to carry that commitment beyond November by making Native voices and perspectives part of learning throughout the year.

As technology continues to evolve, we want to make families aware of a growing concern involving smart glasses, such as Ray-Ban Meta glasses and similar devices. While these may look like ordinary glasses, they contain built-in cameras and microphones that allow users to take photos, record conversations, and capture video, sometimes without others realizing they are being recorded.

We want to remind families that smart glasses and similar wearable recording devices fall under VUSD's existing policies regarding personal electronic devices and are not permitted for student use on campus.

Additionally, California Education Code § 51512 prohibits students from using electronic recording devices in classrooms without prior consent from both the teacher and principal for an educational purpose. Our district's existing student handbook rules also prohibit unauthorized recording of students and staff on campus.

We ask families to help us reinforce these expectations with their children. Our goal is to protect the privacy of our students and staff and ensure our schools remain places where everyone feels safe, respected, and comfortable.

As parents and guardians, we all want to see our children thrive in school, both academically and socially. One of the best ways to stay connected to your child’s learning is by reviewing progress reports and attending parent-teacher conferences. These check-ins provide valuable insight into your child’s growth and give you the opportunity to ask questions, share concerns, and collaborate with teachers to support continued learning and development.

Progress reports are issued periodically throughout the school year to give you a snapshot of how your child is doing. In elementary school, reports highlight progress in key academic areas as well as your child’s development of the VUSD Learner Portrait attributes. In middle and high school, progress reports show how your child is performing in each class and their progress toward final semester grades.

Parent-teacher conferences and progress reports are important tools for supporting your child’s learning journey. They help you stay informed, connected, and actively involved in your child’s education. By working together, we can help every student reach their full potential and develop a lifelong love of learning.

To view the VUSD Calendar for Elementary and Middle School Parent Conference dates and corresponding Minimum Day schedules, CLICK HERE.

Remaining Date: December 10, 2026

Time: 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Location: Vista Innovation Center (VIC), Multi-Purpose Room, 836 Olive Avenue

• December 10: Prototype and Feedback. Earlier that week, students serving on the Superintendent’s Council for Innovative Learning will review a draft Board policy proposal. At this forum, we will share the proposal, share what we heard from the students, and gather final community feedback before preparing the policy for the School Board’s first reading in January.

In October, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released the national list of 2025 Turnip the Beet (TUB) winners. The Nutrition Services Division (NSD) has included our own Vista Unified School Districts as one of the 10 highest awardees for a Gold Award for our service in the 2025-2026 school year.

The SDCOE and Computers 2 Kids are partnering to help families access affordable refurbished computers with free lifetime technical support. The event will be at Vista High School, Saturday, November 7 from 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. For additional information, contact Computers 2 Kids at programs@c2sdk.org, call (858) 200-9788, or visit www.c2k.org. View details here: English Flyer Spanish Flyer.

The students have spoken and this year's STEM Challenge will be The Paper Airplane Challenge! Click here to sign up your child(ren) - one submission per student please.

Did you know you have access to all of the past Community Updates? Click here to check them out! Another way to access those is by going to our website: vistausd.org/news and clicking on Archived Community Updates.

Email: webmaster@vistausd.org
Website: vistausd.org
Location: 1234 Arcadia Avenue, Vista, CA, USA
Phone: (760) 726-2170
Twitter: @VistaBlueprint