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  • VUSD Newsletter- athletic info nights, negotiations,...

      April 23, 2025 Stay in the loop with all the key dates! Visit our  calendar webpage for the most up-to-date information, including the 2024-25 and 2025-26 academic calendars. Here's what's coming up:   April 24 - 5:30-7 pm, District English Learner Advisory Committee at ESC April 30 , 5:30-7:30 pm, Special Education Parent Workshop at ESC May 26, Schools and District closed for holiday ESC= Education Service Center- 255W. Stanley Ave., Ventura Unified School District   If you have questions, contact the District Office at 805-641-5000. For detailed schedules, check our Bell Schedules webpage . We are here to help!  PROGRAMS/EVENTS/RESOURCES VUSD Student Art Show Save the Date!  Join us May 15–18 at the Vita Art Center for the 2024-25 Ventura Unified District-Wide Student Art Show, a celebration of student creativity from elementary through high school. Over 150 works by talented students will be on display — and for sale — with all proceeds supporting arts education.  Opening Night: Thursday, May 15, from 4–7:30 PM at the Vita Art Center, located at 28 W Main St, Ventura.  Admission is FREE!    Freshmen Athletic Information Nights- Buena, Foothill, and Ventura  All incoming Freshmen are invited to attend the following Athletic Information Nights. Learn about tryout dates, program information, how to register, and gain clearance to play, and more!  Join us at the following: Foothill High School: Thurs. May 1, 6:30 pm at Foothill High School Buena High School: Tues. May 6, 6-7 pm in the Buena High School Gym Ventura High School: Wed. May 7, 6-8 pm in Tuttle Gym off of Poli St.  More information can also be found on the attached flyers.    May 8 LCAP Meeting  Please get involved in shaping the future of our schools by participating in the   Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)   Advisory Committee. The next meeting will be held on Thurs. May 8 from 5:30–7:00 pm, at the VUSD Education Service Center at 255 W. Stanley Avenue in Ventura. Please RSVP to Margarita Parsadanyan at 641-5000, ext. 1146, or email margarita.parsadanyan@venturausd.org   to ensure we have sufficient materials, food, and setup. Please indicate if you will need childcare during the meeting.     VUSD Negotiations Update The District, Ventura Education Support Professional Association (VESPA), and Ventura Unified Education Association (VUEA) have been meeting over several negotiation sessions to discuss the 2024-25 contract.  For more detailed information, including copies of the tentative agreements, please visit our  2024-2025 District Negotiations webpage . Negotiations will continue on Friday, April 25, with VUEA, and we will continue to provide updates.  A copy of this email will also go to families and staff through ParentSquare this evening.  We would like to thank both associations’ teams and the District’s team for their work during the negotiation process.         Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee Now Taking Applications The Ventura Unified School District has established a Citizens' Oversight Committee (CBOC) to review expenditures associated with Measure E (bond money), which District voters approved on November 8, 2022.  The Committee is responsible for ensuring that bond revenues are used only as voters intended and for informing the public of bond expenditures. The Board invites all interested community members to apply for service on the Committee. The CBOC Application must be returned, no later than Monday, May 19 at 4 pm, via email to Brenda.Gutierrez@venturausd.org or by mail to Ventura Unified School District, Attn: Brenda Gutierrez, 255 W. Stanley Ave. Ventura, CA 93001.    VUSD Budget Update  Thank you again to everyone who joined Superintendent Castro’s Budget Listening Tour and to those who shared questions and suggestions through our Google form. We’re grateful for your input and excited by the strong community participation.  Our team has launched a new  Budget Update webpage , which includes a helpful FAQ.  Please note that as we are able we will continue adding in new information to the webpage.      FREE BOOKS! WHAT:   The Ventura Education Partnership (VEP), along with First 5 Ventura County, and the Ventura Unified School District will be hosting a FREE EARLY LITERACY EVENT for students Preschool – 2nd grade.  Students will have the opportunity to listen to community members read stories, meet with an author, and receive a new book.  See the attached flyer for more information.  WHEN:  Saturday, May 3, 2025, 10 am-1 pm WHERE:  VUSD Education Service Center (ESC) Lawn, 255 W. Stanley Ave, Ventura, CA BOARD OF EDUCATION Regular Board of Education Meeting- Tuesday, May 13 The next Regular Board of Education Meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 13, at the  VUSD Board Room (255 W. Stanley Ave., Ventura) .  For details on:   🔹 Meeting start times (closed and regular sessions)   🔹 Agenda items   🔹 Public comment (in-person only)   🔹 Live streaming and recordings Visit our   Board of Education Agendas & Minutes webpag e  or watch live on our   VUSD YouTube page .   COMMUNITY PARTNERS City of Ventura General Plan Open House After more than five years in development, the City of Ventura will unveil the draft General Plan, a community-driven roadmap that will guide future growth, housing, transportation, environmental sustainability, and quality of life in Ventura through 2050. To kick off the public review process, the City will host an Open House on Thursday, May 1, at 6 pm in the Community Meeting Room at City Hall. 501 Poli St., Ventura, CA. The City invites residents, business owners, and community members to learn more, ask questions, and provide feedback on the draft plan.  Our VUSD community members are invited to join as well. For more information, visit https://conta.cc/42MGyNJ Follow VUSD on Social Media Official District Social Media Accounts Facebook -  @Venturausd Instagram - @SchoolVentura YouTube - @VenturaUnifiedSchoolDistrict

    Thursday, Apr 24 2025

  • VUSD Newsletter- free books, measure e bond update a...

      April 9, 2025 Stay in the loop with all the key dates! Visit our  calendar webpage for the most up-to-date information, including the 2024-25 and 2025-26 academic calendars. Here's what's coming up: April 10, 5:30-7:30 pm Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) Meeting at ESC April 11, 9-11 am, Special Education District Advisory Committee via Zoom April 18- District Holiday- All schools and District offices closed April 24 - 5:30-7 pm, District English Learner Advisory Committee at ESC April 30 , 5:30-7:30 pm, Special Education Parent Workshop at ESC ESC= Education Service Center- 255W. Stanley Ave., Ventura Unified School District  If you have questions, contact the District Office at 805-641-5000. For detailed schedules, check our Bell Schedules webpage . We are here to help!  PROGRAMS/EVENTS/RESOURCES VUSD Student Art Show Save the Date!  Join us May 15–18 at the Vita Art Center for the 2024-25 Ventura Unified District-Wide Student Art Show, a celebration of student creativity from elementary through high school. Over 150 works by talented students will be on display — and for sale — with all proceeds supporting arts education.  Opening Night: Thursday, May 15, from 4–7:30 PM at the Vita Art Center, located at 28 W Main St, Ventura.  Admission is FREE!    High School Spring Theater Productions Coming Soon We are extremely fortunate to have three outstanding theater programs at our comprehensive high schools, and their spring productions are just around the corner! These talented students and staff have been working hard, and you won’t want to miss the shows. Foothill Technology High School presents Mean Girls: The Musical  April 22–25 in Spirito Hall at Foothill High School.  Performances begin at 6:30 p.m. Buena High School presents The Sound of Music  April 24–May 3 in the McConnell Auditorium at Buena High School. Ventura High School presents Disney’s The Little Mermaid  April 24–May 3 in the Ventura High School Auditorium. Please see the attached flyers for specific show dates, times, and ticket information. Come out and support our amazing student performers!   Expanded Learning Interest Forms for TK-5 Due April 18 VUSD offers quality Expanded Learning programs (ELOP, ASES, PEAK, aka- After School Programs) at all elementary and middle schools. To help us plan for 2025-26, families must complete an  Interest Form for each child in grades TK-5—whether or not your child currently participates. To submit your interest form, log into   Q ParentConnect , click “My Information” > “Student Demographic” > “Exp Learning Interest Form,” then select “yes” or “no” and click Submit. Forms are due by  April 18 . Qualified families will receive registration info in May. Need help? Join us at an in-person support session: Mon, April 7, 5:30–6:30 pm @ EP Foster Cafeteria Tues, April 8, 5:30–6:30 pm @ Lemon Grove Cafeteria Mon, April 14, 5:30–6:30 pm @ EP Foster ATLAS Cafeteria Tues, April 15, 5:30–6:30 pm @ Sheridan Way Cafeteria More info: venturausd.org/services/expanded-learning  Questions? See the attached flyers or email: ExpandedLearning@venturausd.org     Free Early Literacy Event- Free Books! The Ventura Education Partnership (VEP), along with First 5 Ventura County and the Ventura Unified School District, will be hosting a FREE EARLY LITERACY EVENT, Read Across Ventura, for students in Preschool – 2nd grade.  The event will take place on Saturday, May 3, from 10 am- 1 pm at the VUSD Education Service Center (ESC) located at 255 W. Stanley Ave. in Ventura (on the lawn). Students will be able to listen to community members reading stories, meet with an author, and r eceive a new book.   See the attached flyer for more information.        Career Technical Education Opportunities (CTE) The Innovation/Career and Technical Education (CTE) Team hosted all 8th-grade students for a field trip to Ventura Unified School District’s Sa’aliyas Ranch, located on the campus of Pacific High School. Students participated in a hands-on experience testing water for nitrate levels in VUSD’s very own aquaponics lab. In addition, students received valuable information about the CTE opportunities available to them in high school and were encouraged to begin considering future careers that provide a living wage.  VUSD offers over 20 career pathways in a number of industry sectors, including Public Services, Manufacturing, Agriculture, Information & Communication Technologies, Health Science & Medical Technology, Building & Construction, and more! Several pathways are open to students attending any VUSD high school. Information about these career education opportunities can be found on the attached flyer, on our Career Education website and by speaking to your student’s counselor.    VUSD Budget Update  Thank you to everyone who joined Superintendent Castro’s Budget Listening Tour and to those who shared questions and suggestions through our Google form. We’re grateful for your input and excited by the strong community participation. Our team is now working on a new Budget Update webpage, which will include a helpful FAQ to answer many of your questions. We plan to launch the site and share more details in our next newsletter on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. Stay tuned!   Measure E Bond Updates Again, thank you to voters for supporting Measure E!  Here are a few updates related to your Bond Funds at work! Solar & Lighting Upgrades: Our solar construction project is charging ahead! Installation is underway at 20 school sites, with Anacapa expected to be the first to go live—generating clean energy as early as the end of April! We’re incredibly grateful to our families and staff for your patience and support throughout this process. Your understanding is helping us build a more sustainable future for our students!   New Scoreboards & LED Lighting at Buena and Ventura High Schools:  It’s game time—under the lights! Buena and Ventura High Schools now have brand-new scoreboards and cutting-edge LED field lighting. The coolest part? These lights are designed to reduce light pollution—so from a distance, they’re barely noticeable, but up close, the whole field glows! Come cheer on your team and see the upgrade for yourself!   Playground Replacements Underway: Get ready to play! New playgrounds are coming to Elmhurst, Mound, Montalvo, and J. Serra elementary schools. These exciting, inclusive play structures will be opening soon—and we’re planning ribbon-cutting celebrations at each site to mark the occasion! We can’t wait to see our students climbing, sliding, and smiling on these brand-new playgrounds.  For estimated completion dates at the other elementary schools and information on additional projects, visit our Measure E Projects website . BOARD OF EDUCATION Regular Board of Education Meeting- Tuesday, May 13 The next Regular Board of Education Meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 13, at the  VUSD Board Room (255 W. Stanley Ave., Ventura) .  For details on:   🔹 Meeting start times (closed and regular session)   🔹 Agenda items   🔹 Public comment (in-person only)   🔹 Live streaming and recordings Visit our   Board of Education Agendas & Minutes webpag e  or watch live on our   VUSD YouTube page .   VUSD Board of Education Governance Workshop  On April 1, 2025, the Ventura Unified School District (VUSD) Board of Education and Superintendent participated in an annual governance workshop facilitated by a consultant from the California School Boards Association (CSBA). The session focused on CSBA’s Governance Standards and included discussions around shared goals, unity of purpose, roles and responsibilities, board norms and protocols, and strategic priorities. These workshops support effective governance and alignment between the Board and Superintendent. COMMUNITY PARTNERS Ventura County Lifeguard Tryouts Ventura County will be hosting its lifeguard tryouts very soon.  Those interested may apply online to receive an invitation to the tryouts, which will occur on April 19, 2025, at 8:30 am. Lifeguards must be 16 years old and attend mandatory training June 9-13.  Apply at www.ventura.org/jobs . See the attached flyer for additional information.  Follow VUSD on Social Media Official District Social Media Accounts Facebook -  @Venturausd Instagram - @SchoolVentura YouTube - @VenturaUnifiedSchoolDistrict

    Thursday, Apr 10 2025

  • Newsletter- US Dept of Ed, Summer School, Independen...

      March 12, 2025 Stay in the loop with all the key dates! Visit our calendar webpage for the most up-to-date information, including the 2024-25 and 2025-26 academic calendars. Here's what's coming up: March 20, 2025, at 5 pm-  Parcel Tax Oversight Committee Meeting at the ESC March 20, 2025, at 5:30 pm-  District Multilingual Learner Advisory Committee at the ESC March 24-28-  Spring Break- all schools closed, District office open with limited services April 18-  District Holiday- All schools and District offices closed ESC= Education Service Center- 255W. Stanley Ave., Ventura Unified School District If you have questions, contact the District Office at 805-641-5000. For detailed schedules, check our Bell Schedules webpage . We are here to help!  PROGRAMS/EVENTS/RESOURCES Spring Break is Around the Corner! Spring is in the air—almost! This is just a reminder that all schools will be closed from March 24 to 28, 2025. The District office will be open with limited services. It can be reached at 805-641-5000. If you are planning a future vacation, don’t forget to check out our  calendars   webpage . Scroll down the webpage to find this year's and next year’s school calendars for easy planning! Enjoy your time off!   I ndependent Study PE (ISPE) for Middle & High School Students VUSD offers  Independent Study Physical Education (ISPE)   as an option for qualifying sports and activities. Students who qualify may receive a modified course schedule and will earn their PE credits/grade via the completion of their logged ISPE activities. All activities must meet the minimum requirements of 400 minutes of activity every 10 school days and must meet VUSD Risk Management guidelines.  For more information, please review our   updated ISPE handbook . ISPE deadlines are strict. If you have questions after reviewing the handbook, please speak to your school counselor or school administrator.    Summer School Registration Now Open! Parents/guardians can enroll their children now until March 21 for summer school and expanded learning programs, which will occur July 7-31.  There are criteria for participating, and more information can be found on our s ummer programs webpage.  Register on Q Parent Connect for each child.      Fall Enrollment Happening Now! VUSD is now enrolling students for the  2025-2026 school year , from preschool through 12th grade. If you or someone you know has a child who is not yet a VUSD student but would like to enroll for fall, now is the time! Transitional Kindergarten: Children who turn 4 by September 1, 2025 are eligible. Kindergarten: Children who turn 5 by September 1, 2025 should enroll now. Don’t wait—enroll today! Visit our  enrollment webpage for more information.     Expanded Learning Interest Forms due April 1-18 Every elementary and middle school in VUSD offers Expanded Learning (also known as ASES, ELOP, PEAK, and after-school programs). All programs require parents/guardians to fill out an “interest form” every year. In VUSD, we will be accepting those from April 1-18, 2025, for the 2025-26 school year. Registration will occur again this year in Q Parent Connect. More information will be in the next VUSD Connections Newsletter, so stay tuned!     VACE Offering Gentle Stretch Yoga for Adults Looking to find more peace and vitality in your life? Join the Gentle Stretch Yoga Class at Ventura Adult and Continuing Education (VACE). This class starts on April 1 and is excellent for all levels. The attached flyer provides more information on dates, times, locations, and fees.     U.S. Department of Education As the discussion at the federal level around the  U.S. Department of Education continues, we would like to answer some questions we have been receiving from our community.  Please note that we will not speculate on what might happen.  We are providing you with the facts about how the US Department of Education currently impacts Ventura Unified.  Process of Closure While an executive order may initiate the process, entirely abolishing the US Department of Education requires congressional approval. The President can direct the agency to reduce its operations, but eliminating it entirely requires a legislative vote. In addition, some US Department of Education responsibilities could be transferred to other federal agencies.  Impact on Ventura Unified While federal funding does impact key areas of our budget, Ventura Unified’s schools would remain open if the US Department of Education were dismantled/reduced. The US Department of Education currently funds VUSD at $13,473,056. The following is a breakdown of how VUSD federal funds are currently spent. Key Areas of Impact: Special Education ($3,677,407) : This fund assists in providing specialized instruction, resources, and support staff for students with disabilities. Title I – Low-Income Students ($3,181,821)  – These funds are used for programs impacting at-risk students, including intervention programs and resources for academic support. Title II – Professional Development ($469,312)  – Professional development opportunities for teachers and staff ensuring instructional quality and student achievement. Title III – English Learners ($300,004)  – Support for English Language Learners (ELL) providing language acquisition programs and essential services for non-native speakers. Title IV – Student Safety and Access to Programs ($770,604)  – This fund provides funding for school safety initiatives, mental health services, technology, and STEM.  Title VI – Indian Education ($53,244)  – Programs supporting Native American students. CTE Perkins ($138,229)  – Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs that support skill-based learning and workforce readiness. Adult Education ($632,435)  – Adult education program through our Ventura Adult and Continuing Education program offering programs supporting lifelong learning and workforce reentry. Child Nutrition—Federal Portion ($4,250,000) : This helps us provide free and reduced-price meal programs for all students.  What About Federal Student Loans? Many of our high school students rely on federal student aid, including Pell Grants and Direct Subsidized Loans, to afford college. The U.S. Department of Education currently oversees these programs through the Office of Federal Student Aid. If the Department is closed, there are questions about whether these programs will be transferred to another federal agency, shifted to state management, or eliminated entirely. Students and families should stay informed as policymakers determine the future of federal student aid. We encourage students planning for college to research additional alternative funding options, including state scholarships and private grants BOARD OF EDUCATION Regular Board of Education Meeting- Tuesday, April 8 The next  Regular Board of Education Meeting  will be held on  Tuesday, April 8,  at the  VUSD Board Room (255 W. Stanley Ave., Ventura) . For details on:  🔹 Meeting start times (closed and regular session)  🔹 Agenda items  🔹 Public comment (in-person only)  🔹 Live streaming and recordings Visit our   Board of Education Agendas & Minutes webpag e  or watch live on our   VUSD YouTube page .   COMMUNITY PARTNERS Volunteer Fair The Ventura Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals Group invites our students and families to join  them at a Volunteer Fair at the Pacific View Mall on Thursday, March 27, from 4-6:30 pm. Eighteen non-profits will be promoting their volunteer opportunities. For more information, see the attached flyer. 

    Thursday, Mar 13 2025