Update from the Superintendent

I hope everyone had a wonderful summer break! Please see this brief video message with a few important updates:

Para ver el mensaje de bienvenida en español, haga clic aquí.

As parents, we know that school attendance is critical for learning success, but did you know that students who miss two days of school per month from TK-8th grade, by the time they reach high school, will have missed a full year of learning?

This is why for the 2024-25 school year we have created a Short-Term Independent Study process that will allow students to make up planned absences and work so students can stay on track with their learning! More information will be available soon when you log onto ParentVue - stay tuned!

We take the safety of our students and staff seriously, and a part of this is ensuring everyone who is on a school campus is cleared and approved to be present. As a result, there is a new volunteer clearance process with different requirements for different types of school or classroom volunteer commitments.

We have outlined each of these volunteer levels with their requirements on our new webpage, please click here for more information or see the flyer here.

As we shared with you last school year, the SMUSD Governing Board has been exploring placing a general obligation bond measure on the November 2024 ballot. After nearly a dozen in-person and virtual townhall events with staff, families and the community, during the June 14th meeting, the Board unanimously voted to approve placing a bond measure on the ballot, now officially named Bond Measure JJ.

For details and answers to frequently asked questions, please click here.

ParentSquare is the primary communication platform for all school communication throughout SMUSD, utilizing email, text, and app notifications. ParentSquare automatically generates an account for each parent, using the email address and phone number used during student registration. We encourage parents to download the mobile app and update their preferences on when and how they are notified.

Additionally, this year high school students will also have the ability to receive real-time emergency alerts and important notifications directly on their devices by downloading the StudentSquare app! High school students should be on the lookout for an email the first week of school inviting them to activate their StudentSquare account and download the free app. For details, please click here.

SMUSD is proud to partner with the City of San Marcos and the San Marcos Sheriff’s Station to improve e-bike safety in our community. As a part of Stay Safe San Marcos, we’ve launched an e-bike permit program that focuses on schools in the most impacted areas of our community, so students who ride bikes or e-bikes to these schools will be required to obtain a permit by taking an in-person education class led by the Sheriff’s Office with at least one parent/guardian.

You will also see an increase in new education materials throughout the city and our district, educating and informing our community at large about e-bike, pedestrian and driver safety. We all share the road together and must Ride Smart, Share Safely. For details, please click here.

CBS Ch. 8 News was out at one of our recent e-bike permit program in-person classes to capture all the action and speak with parents and students. Check out the full story here!

We are so excited to welcome back each and every one of our students, staff, and families this year! As we prepare to dive into a new school year, we are thrilled to serve this wonderful community and continue to help our students live to their fullest potential and help them on their journey to become Future Ready!

Sincerely,

Dr. Andy Johnsen

Superintendent