Val Verde family, 

 I hope that your time away is going well and that you have been able to relax and rejuvenate.  The past three years are regarded by many as the most challenging ever faced by educators. With this said, I continue to be impressed with the service that our employees have provided for our students and community. I am optimistic that the coming year will be less arduous and that we will feel more of a sense of normalcy. 

I am proud of what we have accomplished together.  Preliminary CAASPP scores show impressive gains at our elementary schools.  Yet, our recovery work is not complete. In fact, we must continue to support our students to ensure we are whole learner focused—leaving no learner marginalized. We must also continue to strengthen our support structures so that they align to accomplish our mission of future ready learners based on our North Star, the Portrait of a Graduate

 As members of the Val Verde family, we have all played a part in our district’s success. Please know that you are appreciated!! We should feel very proud of the many accomplishments and accolades that our district has received: 

• The 2022 Cohort Graduation Rate is now 94.0%.
• The A-G completion rate for VVUSD (Val Verde Unified School District) in 2022 is 59%.  Ranking Val Verde 3^rd highest among all school districts in Riverside County

• Val Verde USD was named 2023 Best Community for Music Education by NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) 
• 55% of the class of 2023 participated in Career and Technical Education classes, our highest percentage ever.
• Since 2012, we have reduced our suspension rate significantly from 9.1% to 3.8% overall and our African American suspension rate has fallen from 18.6% to 7.2%, a reduction of 61%
• Our Family Engagement participation for 2023 sits at 11,865 parents representing an increase of 76% over the prior year.
• Our Board of Education’s number one goal of Reading by 3^rd Grade increased by 14 points to 57% of K-2 students achieving at or above standard in the Reading Composite Score as measured by the Acadience reading assessment.

On behalf of the Board of Education, Welcome Back! I am proud and humbled to be part of this family as I begin my twenty-seventh year. We will continue our relentless pursuit in providing a world-class education to our students so that they are college AND career ready and prepared to assume their role in the 21st Century workforce. As we cast a light on the future, let's continue to work together in making a positive difference in the lives of our students and the communities we serve. Let’s make this the best year yet!