In Davis Joint Unified School District (DJUSD), we believe that school is a place where every student should feel safe, welcome and connected. We also know that our community is at its best when embracing diversity and demonstrating compassion and mutual respect. In the words of Coretta Scott King, “The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate acts of its members.” These values are affirmed in the Principles of One Community, which was jointly adopted several years ago by DJUSD, the city of Davis and UC Davis. These principles, which ring just as true now as when they were adopted, acknowledge that within the single community there are many different voices and perspectives, and together they create the rich environment where our students can learn and flourish.
Central to these values is that our schools remain spaces where every person should feel welcome and safe regardless of their immigration status, race, color, ancestry, national origin, ethnic group identification, age, religion, marital or parental status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or gender expression. Especially when those in our community are experiencing uncertainty and fear, we can ground ourselves in the values of Principles of One Community and find strength in our sustained responsibility to one another. To that end, on Thursday, February 6, the DJUSD Board of Education and I recommitted ourselves to the Principles of One Community as an important step in navigating these uncertain times for public education.
In community,
Matt Best
Superintendent
- February - Black History Month
- February 3-7 - School Counseling Week
- February 17 - Presidents’ Day - no school and offices closed
- February 24 - Local Holiday - no school and offices closed
- February 24-28 - Public Schools Week
- February 28 - Ramadan
- March - Arts Education Month, Music in our Schools Month, Women’s History Month
- March 24-28 - Spring Break - no school and offices closed
Department and School Site Budget Meetings
The Business Department has launched its second round of budget meetings with each department and site administrator. These reviews are a critical step in ensuring that budget allocations align with data-supported needs, reinforcing our commitment to the success and well-being of students, staff and schools.
Tax Exemptions
The Employee Property Tax Exemption Forms (for Measure G only) are available on Informed K12. The deadline to submit is June 15, 2025. Employees who own property, live in it as their primary residence and meet both conditions listed in items 1 and 2 below as of July 1 of the tax year may be eligible:
- Temporary certificated employees of the District, as defined by Education Code sections 44909, 44919, 44920, and 44921.
- Probationary certificated employees of the District, as defined by Education Code section 44915.
- Permanent certificated employees of the District, as defined by Education Code sections 44830 and 44929.21.
- Permanent classified employees of the District, as defined by Education Code sections 45101, 45103, and 45113.
The District shall make all determinations regarding an employee’s eligibility for the Employee Exemption, including whether the employee is guaranteed a half-time or greater assignment with the District. Exemptions are valid for the duration of the parcel tax, as long as you are an eligible District employee, own the property and the property is your primary residence.
Classified School Employee Summer Assistance Program
Program Details
Participants can withhold money from their 2025-26 paychecks, with potential state matching funds paid during non-working summer months.
The $1-for-$1 match is not guaranteed; it depends on statewide participation and may be lower. The State will confirm the match in Spring 2025.
Matching funds are subject to payroll taxes (Federal & State).
The deadline to submit the participation election form (sent via Informed K12) is due March 1, 2025. More information is available on our payroll website or on the California Department of Education website. Questions? Contact Fiscal Services’ payroll team at payroll@djusd.net.
W-2s Have Been Sent
In payroll news, W-2s have been sent out to all employees this week. Staff should receive them in the next few days. W-2s are also available on the Employee Self-Service (ESS) Portal. For information on ESS Portal, please visit our website.
An Update on our Bond Projects
Davis High School Aquatic Center Construction Update
Exciting progress is being made on the new Aquatic Center at Davis High School! Recent construction milestones include the completion of the concrete foundation for the main pool area and ongoing work on the adjacent facilities. The project is moving forward on schedule, with crews actively working on infrastructure and site preparations. Once completed, the state-of-the-art facility will provide students and the community with enhanced swimming and training opportunities. Stay tuned for more updates as we dive closer to the ribbon cutting and grand opening!
Exciting Progress on Early Childhood Education Facilities
Construction of the new Early Childhood Education facilities at Pioneer, Montgomery, North Davis, Korematsu and Willett Elementary Schools is moving forward steadily! Recent developments include significant exterior and interior work, such as framing, insulation and infrastructure installation. These new spaces will provide enriching environments tailored to support our youngest learners, fostering creativity and development. We’re excited to see these projects come to life and look forward to welcoming students soon!
Join our Custodial Team
The Maintenance and Operations Department is currently seeking a Full-Time Night Custodian. Our Custodial Staff are essential to DJUSD as they provide support in sanitation and cleanliness practices that ensure our students are learning in safe and clean environments. Please see the listing for this position by visiting EdJoin.
Boundary Discussions: The Housing-Schools Connection
DJUSD has been experiencing declining enrollment for over a decade. Over the last few months the Board has received updates and analyses of the factors driving our declining enrollment as well as our projections for what our District and schools will look like in the decade to come. After five different Board Study sessions, we can say confidently that the projections suggest that in the next few years, best case we need to adjust boundaries for the entire District, and, in the worst case, we will be considering a restructuring of the school district, which may include adjusting school models, school consolidation and boundary rebalancing.
The decision hinges on two proposed large-scale developments that should be before Davis voters in the next 18 months, Village Farms and Shriners Property. If both developments were approved, they would add an estimated 1000 new students to our District over 15 years, which would mitigate declining enrollment and bring us up to current District enrollment.
In the next few months, DJUSD will provide more information to help educate our staff, families and broader community about how new housing decisions are tied to school enrollment. We will also be launching a community process to provide engagement opportunities in finding solutions to the challenges ahead. A final decision by the Board is expected in fall of 2026 and will address boundary rebalancing, modifying school models, and/or school consolidation for as early as the 2027-28 school year. Stay tuned for more information and opportunities to provide feedback.
Workforce Housing
This month, DJUSD participated in California School Boards Association (CSBA) Education Workforce Housing Kickoff Workshop with four other Local Education Agencies. Participants shared specific experiences, expectations and interests and then heard a presentation from organizers about housing design, site considerations and regulations. The next workshop will include a visit to a Bay Area school district who has constructed workforce housing. Learn more about DJUSD’s efforts at djusd.net/housing.
Nominate a Student for our Second Cycle of Awards!
The first cycle of our new DJUSD Values in Action Award Program was a great success and now it’s time to start nominating your peers for our spring awards cycle! Nominate a student, family member/guardian, staff member or community member who you believe embodies the shared values of DJUSD and our fours Goal for Student Success. Learn more and nominate someone today at www.djusd.net/awards. The nomination deadline is February 13.
Register Your School Social Media Accounts with the Communications Office
Do you manage a social media account for your school? If so, please register your account with the Communications Office! School social media accounts include official school accounts, department accounts, student government/club accounts or any other social media presence posting on behalf of your school. Please complete a Social Media Authorization form and send it back to communications@djusd.net.
Secondary Program Planning
Planning for Next Year
This is the season when Personnel Services is supporting District planning with staffing projections, including possible reductions, for the upcoming year. Our employees are an important part of this process by letting us know their intentions for the 2025-26 school year. If you are a Probationary or Permanent Certificated employee, you received an “Intent to Return Form” via K12. Please respond to the form as soon as possible, no later than February 8. Classified employees are assumed to have the intention to continue in their positions. However, if you are a Classified employee and you already know you will resign your position for 2025-26, you may do so now with a future resignation date. Thank you for helping us with a smooth process!
STRS Blog on the Social Security Fairness Act
This blog from STRS has more information regarding the recently signed Social Security Fairness Act and how it impacts STRS members who worked in non-teaching jobs where Social Security benefits were earned.
February Newsletter Highlights Important Resources
The Special Education Department is pleased to share upcoming events and a variety of resources in our February Newsletter. In this month's edition, you'll find information on SACSE meetings, upcoming events around the District and staff highlights.
Student Nutrition Services is Growing!
Student Nutrition Service is growing! Over the last several months, we have made numerous new hires to support feeding thousands of our students daily. We are pleased to introduce Lydia Holdstock, Stephanie Aguilar, Joseph Herrera, Maha Idrissi Ouali, Alejandro Perez, Almendra Portugal, Johnathan Mills, Susana Quezada de Luna, Nakia Thomas, Farkhanda Tubssam, Jorge Rubio, Ariya Turner, Ashwani Kulkarni and Sean Duffy to our team. We are looking forward to the wonderful contributions they will make to our program.
Enrollment is now Open for the 2025-26 School Year
We are now accepting and processing new student enrollments for the 2025-26 school year, including enrollments for our NEW full day kindergarten program. Beginning next school year, kindergarten at all of our elementary sites will be a full day program, following the same primary start and release schedule. This exciting opportunity allows our District to better meet the needs of our kinder students and families.
In addition to the plentiful openings we have in kindergarten and first grade, we are also able to offer select openings in additional grades. For more information on enrollment, please visit the District website.
We All Belong Resolution and Practice
In 2017, the Board of Education adopted the We All Belong Resolution resolution which emphasizes the District’s commitment to an inclusive environment and especially emphasized our commitment to our community’s undocumented students and families. Although it is unlikely that immigration enforcement personnel would come onto our campuses, DJUSD will continue our commitment to providing a safe and inclusive space for all of our students and has the following protocols in place:
The District does not ask about a student’s immigration status or collect information regarding a student’s and/or family’s immigration status when enrolling a student in the District.
Any official who appears on campus asking to see a student or staff member, or requests information about a student or staff member, will be directed to the Superintendent’s office for review of the purpose and legality of their visit.
For additional information see CA Attorney General Immigration Enforcement Guidance 2025.
February PEP Talk - NAMI Ending the Silence for Families - Wednesday, February 12
NAMI Ending the Silence for Families helps parents and caregivers of middle and high school aged youth learn about the warning signs of mental health conditions through a brief presentation, short videos, and personal testimony from a young adult who describes their journey to recovery. Join us virtually on Wednesday, February 12 from 6:00 -7:30 p.m. Presentation includes facts and statistics, how to talk with your child and how to work with school staff. Register today!
FREE Youth Heart Screening
Sudden Cardiac Arrest is the #1 cause of death on school campuses and the # 1 cause of death among student athletes. Register for the FREE Youth Heart Screening (ages 12-25) at Harper Junior High on March 9. Community members ages 12-25 will receive an EKG and heart health screening. Community members of all ages can also volunteer at the screening event. Learn more.
New DJUSD Insights Dashboard
Multi-Factor Authentication
The Technology Department would like to thank all staff for their patience and understanding in December when we turned on Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for Microsoft products. Our district is now much more secure, but please remain vigilant with emails that seem “suspect”. Phishing has gotten more sophisticated with the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI). In Outlook, all staff can “Report” a suspicious email by right-clicking on an email and tagging it as phishing (see screenshot). Our security team will review and take appropriate action.
Next Meeting
The next regular meeting of the Board of Education will be in-person on Thursday, February 20, 2025. This regular meetings can be viewed on DJUSD Education Channel 17 and by livestream, or you can watch archived recordings at djusd.tv.
Fundraise for Classroom or Group with the DSF Carousel!
As many of you know, the Davis Schools Foundation maintains Davis's iconic pedal-powered carousel, the Flying Carousel of the Delta Breeze. DSF makes it available for use by DJUSD-related organizations--classes, teams, PTAs or clubs, to run as a fundraiser during Farmers' Market. Sign-ups to claim a fundraising date are available for 2025 on a first come, first served basis. Groups may sign up for one use of the Flying Carousel of the Delta Breeze annually and slots must be claimed using the advisor/staff member's DJUSD email address. If you have any questions, please email carousel@davisschoolsfoundation.org.