Happy New Year, EUSD!
We were all so excited to welcome back our students and staff this week as we launch into 2025! EUSD staff are committed to providing fun and unique learning experiences for all of our students with a variety of activities in and out of school. We want our students to have access to real-world learning opportunities that support our students as they develop the skills outlined in our EUSD Learner Profile. And we are always looking for ways to offer family activities, as well!
Our EUSD partner, Nature Collective, is hosting the Wings Over Wetlands family festival on January 25th at the San Elijo Lagoon. Bird Tours will occur at 10:15 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Bring the whole family to enjoy activities for all ages, live animal presentations, face painting, crafts, and much more! Space is limited, so be sure to register early. For more details and to secure your spot, click on the link below. We hope to see you there!
Wings Over Wetlands Festival - information and registration
California Community Schools Partnership Program Grant: This school year, EUSD was selected to receive funding through the California Department of Education’s California Community Schools Partnership Program for sixteen of our schools! In total, the district received $22,800,000 ($1,425,000 per school) for the implementation of Community Schools strategies through the 2028-2029 school year.
As a result of the grant, each of the selected schools now have a Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) Specialist to ensure opportunities are available for staff, students, parents/families, and community members to provide input into school priorities and participate in decision-making as well as a wide variety of activities and services at the school. The MTSS Specialist is also tasked with the coordination of the school’s Comprehensive Student Assistance Team Process and student/family support programs, with a specific focus on academic services that meet the needs of every individual learner at the school site.
Since the launch of the program in August 2024, over 2400 parents/family members, 1100 classified and certificated staff, and 4500 students have provided input via surveys, focus groups, and input sessions at the grant-funded school sites. Each school site has also launched its Community School Advisory Committees, offering an additional opportunity for educational partners on campus to provide input into school priorities and how the Community Schools grant funding will be used on their campus. We are excited to see how the grant-funded schools integrate the input received to develop supplemental programs, supports, and/or services to meet the unique needs of their school community in the months and years ahead.
Here are this week’s updates and reminders:
Early Education Enrollment: New Student Enrollment opened on January 7, 2025, for Transitional Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and Special Education Preschool. EUSD offers a full-day Transitional Kindergarten program to bridge the path between preschool and Kindergarten. For the 2025-2026 school year, children are eligible for TK if their date of birth is between September 2, 2020, and September 1, 2021. Students applying for Kindergarten must be age 5 on or before September 1, 2025. Students in EUSD TK and Kindergarten programs are eligible to participate in their school’s optional Expanded Learning program. The Expanded Learning program provides before- and after-school student care, from 6:30 a.m. to the morning bell and from the dismissal bell to 6:00 p.m. To find your neighborhood school of residence, use our online school locator tool. For questions regarding Special Education Preschool or about your student’s Special Education needs for next school year, contact the team at spedsupport@eusd.org.
Holiday reminder: EUSD schools and the district office will be closed on Monday, January 20, in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a National Day of Service to encourage Americans to volunteer in their communities. The website for Americorps provides information on how to get involved in one’s community. Close to home, visit the city’s Volunteer Escondido webpage and the website for local nonprofit Love Esco for upcoming community service events.
Breakfast and Lunch Menus: All EUSD students have access to no-cost breakfast and lunch. Families can view our new online menus. Select your school and menu to see what is being served every day.
And Remember, Every Day Counts in EUSD!
– Luis Rankins-Ibarra, Superintendent of Schools