Superintendent Villegas's 100-Day Plan Results

April 28, 2023

Dear El Rancho Unified School Community:

I once again want to thank each of you for such a warm welcome to me this school year. It has been a wonderful first year! As we come to the last quarter of the school year we are well on our way to completing it successfully. I want to thank each of you, including students, staff, and families, for their involvement in the 100-Day Plan. As I have shared throughout the past few months, meeting with you and hearing your feedback on the District’s strengths and areas for growth has been a highlight of my year. The community’s commitment to ERUSD schools is a remarkable asset to our students.

Throughout my first 100 days, I engaged with nearly 1,300 educational partners, from district staff, parents, students and community partners . They provided insight in many areas; however, four broad areas surfaced as priorities. These areas will further support student success and push the district toward greater academic excellence.

Four areas based on your collective feedback have become priorities:

Dealing with the student behaviors as a result of the pandemic
Providing safer schools
Improving our communication with the community and with staff
Improving school facilities

We have already accomplished outstanding things together and made strides in each one:

Dealing with the student behaviors as a result of the pandemic. This was an area of universal concern for instructional staff and parents. As a result, the District is:

Continuing to provide training for staff and increasing efforts to develop behavior plans and use restorative practices while also nurturing mental health.
New supportive spaces for students have also been established including the Oasis Center at ERHS and the relocation and reopening of the Boys and Girls Club.
Enhance training for school safety officers (SSOs).
Work with staff to increase student engagement in learning and furthering healthy social skill development.

The net result is an improvement in student behavior compared to the beginning of the year. We are fortunate to have obtained some grants that will allow us to continue to connect students to resources within schools and the community.

Providing safer schools. The District team is working very hard to provide safer school environments for all students and staff.

Many constituents participated in the Community Safety Summit in September and a Safety Town Hall is scheduled for May 18th.
Staff has received additional training on safety protocols, including districtwide active shooter training, two drills with evaluation by an outside facilitator; multiple table-top discussions of real-world situations with principals and school staff; and a laser-focused plan for response to altercations.
Local law enforcement agencies have been instrumental in increasing visibility across the district while also offering expertise to guide our direction. This includes regular meetings with the Sheriff’s Captain and the hiring of a School Resource Deputy (SRD) to support our schools.
Students and families have additional information on how to prevent bullying and substance abuse, including the fentanyl epidemic.
Additional preventative safety equipment, including an internal intercom system, outdoor intercom speakers, and entry-point units with cameras at each site is being deployed across the district.

Improving our communication with the community and with staff. While the District continues to look for ways to continue to improve communication, the following steps have been taken:

We have increased the number of videos, public service announcements (PSAs) and voice messages shared with the community.
We continue to use social media both at the district and school sites to keep parents informed.
We have implemented the See Something, Say Something Campaign designed to intervene before situations occur. Through this access to information, safety has increased.
We have started sending out a monthly newsletter that provides the community with updates about the many exciting things students are doing at our schools.
We have also hosted community events such as Coffee with the Superintendent, the Parent Summit, the Safety Summit and increased opportunities for parents to participate in school events as well.

Improving facilities. We have also made tremendous progress on facilities projects, using bond funds generously provided by the citizens of Pico Rivera and deferred maintenance revenues.

Students at each middle school have access to newly renovated locker rooms.
A number of leaking roofs have been repaired; many more will be repaired over the summer.
Improvements to air conditioning systems will keep students cool as we start more air conditioning projects this summer.
This summer, the District plans to break ground on the long-awaited athletic stadium and swimming pool.

I am so appreciative to all of our staff and community who have a deep commitment to our students. I am also grateful for our wonderful students, families, and educational partners who were part of this process. Your voices have been heard, and we will continue to seek your input moving forward.

Though we are off to a great start, there are still many mountains to move as we establish a world class educational system for our students. I have no question that–together–we will succeed on behalf of the students of El Rancho Unified School District. We will continue to strive towards achieving academic excellence and providing our students with a positive, engaging, and safe learning environment.

Thank you,

Marco A. Villegas, Ph.D.

Superintendent