Superintendent's Weekly Update

September 11, 2026

Dear PUSD Families,

As we mark September 11, I want to pause to remember the lives lost and honor the heroes who served during and after the tragedy. I hope each of us was able to take a moment to reflect on the strength, unity, and resilience that emerged from that day, values that continue to inspire us and bring our communities together.

This week, our team presented preliminary student success data from the 2025–26 school year to the Board of Education. This initial review provides an early look at key measures of student achievement and well-being before the state releases its final data.

The presentation included results in CAASPP English language arts, mathematics, and science; attendance and chronic absenteeism; graduation and A–G completion rates; and participation in college and career pathways.

Overall, the preliminary data reflects positive trends across many measures. Attendance improved, chronic absenteeism declined, and graduation rates remained high. Academic performance also remained strong, with gains in science and continued high achievement in English language arts and mathematics.

These results reflect the exceptional work taking place across our schools each day. I am grateful to our students for their hard work, our staff for their dedication, and our families for their continued partnership in supporting every student’s success.

You can review the full Board presentation here.

Sincerely,

Ben

School calendars for the 2027–28 and 2028–29 school years have not yet been developed.

The first step in the process is to gather parent and family feedback about the current school calendar, including how families have been affected by this year’s first day of school occurring a full week earlier than last year.

Your input will help staff understand how the calendar affects students and families and will inform the development of draft calendars. After the survey closes, we will share the results with families. Staff will then prepare proposed calendars for the Board of Education to discuss and consider for approval later this school year.

Thank you for taking the time to participate and for sharing your valuable perspectives. The survey will close on Monday, September 21, 2026.

We are excited to invite all 9–12 students and their families to the PUSD College and Career Fair on Tuesday, September 15, at Westview High School from 5:15–7:15 p.m.

To prepare, attendees can register for StriveScan, a service that allows students to easily share their information with participating representatives and spend more time having meaningful conversations about their education and career objectives.

Please visit the event's webpage to a full list of participating universities and organizations, an event map and directory, and help registering.

Rhea Jain, a senior at Del Norte High School, dedicated her Girl Scout Gold Award project to addressing social-emotional health in younger students.

Through a series of workshops Growing Strong Minds, she and her team have helped students develop coping skills to manage stress, understand emotions, and communicate with confidence.

"Seeing students who were initially unsure leave smiling and excited about what they learned reminds me why I started Growing Strong Minds in the first place," says Rhea.

You can learn more about Rhea's project and workshops online.

The San Diego County Office of Education is hosting a Family Digital Wellness Series, designed to support families in building healthy, positive, and balanced relationships with technology.

The series will cover a variety of important digital wellness topics and provide families with practical tools and strategies they can use at home. You can view the complete schedule, dates, topics, and registration information online here.

• Employment Opportunities
• New Student Enrollment
• Board Meeting Agenda and Minutes
• Board Policies and Administrative Regulations Updates
• District Calendars

• September 14, 2026 — My Kid Isn’t Bad: Understanding What Your Teen is Really Saying (Registration Info)
• September 15, 2026 — CTE College Fair at Westview High School (Info)
• September 15, 2026 — Raising Pre-Teens in Immigrant and Multicultural Families (Registration Info)