Community Update

In collaboration with the staff across the district, it is with great pride and enthusiasm that we share this Year in Review 2025 report to the community. This report highlights authentic examples of the progress we have made to not only realize our vision as a district, but also to create engaging learning environments that appeal to the diverse strengths, interests, and aspirations of our students from transitional kindergarten to seniors in high school. The Vista Unified team is committed to working tirelessly to become compassionate champions of hope and joy for all students.

We are excited to celebrate the Graduating Class of 2025 this week! Our students continue to exemplify being kind & confident, curious & connected, and capable & knowledgeable young people who are setting out to the next stages of their lives. We are excited and hopeful about the Class of 2025, and what they have persevered through. They were in middle school during the Covid school closures and in many ways re-acclimated to things as they also transitioned to high school. In the last few weeks, hundreds of our students have been honored with awards, nearly $5 million in scholarships, job offers, military enlistments, and more as their time with us comes to a close. As you can see on the map below, our graduates will be attending colleges and universities across the country, but many will be staying right here in California, where we hope they will one day return to our community, to plant their roots as the next generation of community leaders.

As part of the new VUSD High School Graduation Requirements beginning with this year’s 8th Graders, we have developed a personal learning plan that all students will enter high school with. We refer to it as, MY PLAN. This effort helps students assess their strengths and interests (RIASEC) and think through possible future aspirations for career and corresponding post secondary education requirements. The idea is for students and families to be have better insights when choosing high school courses and discussions about career pathways. Learn more in this PodCast: CLICK HERE

As we approach summer, this means our planning for the 2025-26 school year is in high gear. One area where this planning is most evident is in our LCAP development process. The LCAP outlines the Actions and Services that we will provide for students, and the budget allocations necessary to make those happen. We have already met with the San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) for our required initial review process, and the VUSD School Board will be discussing the LCAP at the June 12, 2025 Special Board Meeting. The School Board will vote on the LCAP at the June 26, 2025 Regular School Board Meeting.

As students and families prepare for summer, the VUSD team is excited to continue to work hard behind the scenes to make 2025-26 the best school year yet! Our theme for next year is: The Pulse of Possibility - focusing on academics and pathways. Our administrators will begin meeting to analyze the latest student data and plan for their instructional year the week after school gets out. They will then come together again for two days in July at our annual Leadership Advance. We also have many summer professional development opportunities this summer, including the first ever VUSD Teacher Boot Camp focusing on Project Based Learning and opportunities around building creativity in the classroom. Some teachers will also take part in curriculum sessions and diagnostic report training as a lead-up to the official return-to-work and VUSD Professional Development days in August. This is all in addition to the hard work our educators spend on their own time preparing and revamping their lessons for the year and attending conferences and training throughout the summer.

This summer, we’re excited to offer extended learning opportunities to help keep our students engaged and growing! From Kindergarten through 12th grade, our summer programs aim to help students achieve the Vista Learner Portrait, focusing on fostering kindness, confidence, curiosity, connection, capability, and knowledge. For elementary students, summer school will center on enhancing skills in reading, math, and science. Students in grades 3rd-5th will also have the chance to explore their creative side through art and band camps. Middle school students will focus on strengthening their reading and math abilities while welcoming incoming 6th graders to support a smooth transition into middle school. High school students will work toward their graduation goals, recover credits, and engage in enrichment opportunities in athletics and the arts.

As a community, we encourage parents to continue supporting their child’s learning journey during the summer by fostering curiosity and creativity. Encourage your child to discover hobbies or new interests, volunteer in the community, and use technology to strengthen their reading and math skills. Visiting the library is also a great way to stay connected with learning. For additional resources, please explore the National Summer Learning Association’s Parent Toolkit.

Thank you for your continued support in making this summer a time of growth and discovery for our students!

Students in grades 3-8 and 11 have completed the annual California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP). The CAASPP assessments help measure student learning and growth in key subjects including English Language Arts, math, and science. These assessments build skills like problem-solving, writing, and critical thinking, and help teachers understand how well students are learning to create effective lessons and provide the right support.

CAASPP assessments are first reviewed by state education staff, who then provide score reports to our district staff. CAASPP scores are provided to authorized VUSD educators quickly through digital student score reports. Once student score reports are received, teachers and administrators review the results for local planning purposes in order to monitor student progress and design instruction for the upcoming school year. Families may view their individual student score reports in Parent Portal within the Test Scores section under “State Test Scores Reports.” We anticipate that all 2025 CAASPP student score reports will be shared by late June.

Important note: At this point in time, 2025 CAASPP scores are not yet publicly released and no aggregate reports are available. We cannot yet compare scores from year to year until all scores are authenticated and authorized for public release by the state in mid-October. When permitted, we will go through the appropriate process to share district and school level CAASPP reports for their intended purposes.

To learn more about the CAASPP student score reports and access additional resources for parents, visit the CAASPP Starting Smarter website. More information will be provided on 2025 CAASPP assessment results when we return to school in the fall. Thank you for supporting your student’s academic achievement, and congratulations to all our hard working students on another year of learning and growth.

A Citizen’s Bond Oversight Committee is an oversight team that reports to the Board of Education for the purpose of informing the public regarding the expenditure and uses of bond revenues. Made up of citizens appointed by the Board of Education, this Committee is currently accepting applications for consideration for appointment by the Board of Education. There are certain requirements and categories that are called upon within California Law for this Committee, which locally oversees activities that are directly tied to projects funded by the 2018 approved Measure LL of 247 Million Dollars. You can view the online advertisement in English and en español by clicking here. Applications are available in PDF format in English and en español. Applications are due by July 2, 2025 by 4:00 p.m. to the Operational Service Center or email to the Committee Secretary, Ms. Danica Reed, at danicareed@vistausd.org.

What happens when a school district property is being considered for a change of use? How do community members have a voice in what the property might be used for? How does the Board officially hear from the community on this topic? These are common questions that come up when a Board of Education is considering what to do with a former school site or parcel of school district owned land as the Board considers some alternative uses for it.

An Asset Management Advisory Committee (AMAC) is a legal requirement of a school District to gather community voice. This type of committee is established to explore and make recommendations on options for District owned real property that is being considered by the Board of Education. According to the law, this committee must comprise no less than seven (7) and no more than eleven (11) members with specific backgrounds and qualifications that are representative of the committee. The current District AMAC has completed their two year term and a new process for selecting members will begin at the end of June 2025. So what is the process?

• Step 1: The Board Passes a Resolution for an AMAC

• Step 2: Open up applications for community members who want to participate in the AMAC

• Step 3: Review applications of potential AMAC members

• Step 4: Board of Education selects AMAC members

• Step 5: Board of Education defines the session scope of the AMAC

• Step 6: The AMAC members meet to review topics specified by the Board of Education

• Step 7: The AMAC makes recommendations to the Board of Education via an official report

• Step 8: Repeat Steps 5-7 as called upon by the Board of Education

So where do I apply or learn more? Visit the AMAC website by clicking here! Applications will be posted at the end of June. You will be able to download the PDF copy in both English and en español on the Membership tab. It is anticipated that the AMAC will be fully formed and reviewing items as specified by the Board of Education during the opening semester of next school year. If you have questions about the application process you can email Ms. Berenice Guzman at bereniceguzman@vistausd.org.

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