Pacific View Leadership Elementary Students to Celebrate Opening of Playfield with All-Campus Recess

MEDIA ADVISORY

Pacific View Leadership Elementary Students to Celebrate Opening of Playfield with All-Campus Recess

Wednesday, April 8, 2026 

WHAT:         Joined by San Diego Unified School District leaders, Pacific View Leadership

            Elementary School students and families will celebrate the opening of a new playfield in Paradise Hills. 

WHEN:       Friday, April 10, 2026 

8:15 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.

WHERE:     Pacific View Leadership Elementary 

            6196 Childs Ave.

San Diego, CA 92139

VISUALS:         8:15 - 8:18 a.m.-  Student-led Pledge of Allegiance 

8:18 - 8:28 a.m. - Speaking Ceremony

8:28- 8:30 a.m. -  Ribbon-Cutting 

8:30 - 9:00 a.m. - Students/Families Run on Field/All School Recess, Media 1-1s 

SPEAKERS:    Dr. Erika Simmons, Principal, Pacific View Leadership Elementary 

Dr. Sharon Whitehurst-Paybe, Board of Education Trustee, San Diego Unified 

School District 

Wyatt Montgomery, 5th Grade Student, Pacific View Leadership Elementary
      Louis Avalos, Direct Services Coordinator, Feeding San Diego

BACKGROUND:  

Replacing a decomposed granite field, the new two-acre grass playfield at Pacific View Leadership Elementary includes an asphalt walking path, trees and landscaping, a drinking fountain, and fencing to separate school and public areas.

Funded, designed, and constructed by the San Diego Unified facilities bond program, the project is part of the City of San Diego’s “Play All Day” parks program and will be available for community use in late spring. 

Through the joint-use partnership with the City of San Diego, the field serves Pacific View Leadership Elementary students during the school day and will be open to the community as a neighborhood park during evenings, weekends, and school breaks.

The joint-use field was constructed as part of a broader campus-wide modernization. The Pacific View Leadership Elementary School Whole Site Modernization project transforms the campus into a more welcoming learning environment for students and staff. The project includes upgrades to classrooms, restrooms, and support spaces across campus, along with improvements to essential building systems, including security, electrical, and plumbing.

As part of the modernization, existing school buildings were renovated to support today’s educational needs, including updated kindergarten classrooms, improved learning spaces, and enhancements to the auditorium and food service areas. The administrative area was also expanded and reconfigured to better serve students, families, and staff.

To create a more open and functional outdoor space, aging portable classrooms were removed and replaced with new site improvements. Exterior upgrades included improved student drop-off and pick-up areas, a new parking lot, and accessible pathways throughout the campus to ensure safe and easy access for all.

PARKING MAP: 

MEDIA CONTACTS:  

Jamie Ries, Information Services Specialist, San Diego Unified, (619) 855-9283, jries@sandi.net

Samer Naji, Facilities Communications Supervisor,  619-548-3388, snaji@sandi.net 

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SD Unified & Urban School Districts' Response to the 2026-27 January State Budget Proposal

Hi there, in case you are interested in reporting on it, San Diego Unified School District at the end of last month (March 24) joined other urban California school districts in lobbying Governor Gavin Newsom to:

 

• Oppose the $5.6 Billion Proposition 98 Funding Withholding and Request the State to Fully Fund the Proposition 98 Guarantee
• Fund the Annual Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) Above the Statutory Level
• Funding the Learning Recovery Emergency Block Grant and $1.9 Billion Settle-Up
• Support $2.8 Billion Discretionary Block Grant to Support Local Priorities to Serve Students
• Support$1 Billion Ongoing for Community Schools in Manner that Sustains Existing Sites and Allows Additional Sites
• Support the $509 Million Ongoing Funds to Increase the Special Education Base Rates
• Request One-Time Allocation for Early Learning Behavioral Supports and Early Interventions
• Request the TK-12 Grade Mandate Block Grant Amounts Be Adjusted with Recently Approved Mandates

 

You can read the details in the attached letter.

 

Thanks, James

 

James Canning (He/Him) Executive Director Strategic Communications & Information San Diego Unified School District   Mobile: 313-580-2845 Office: 619-725-5578 Email: Jcanning@sandi.net   4100 Normal Street San Diego, CA 92103   www.sandiegounified.org

 

 

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SAN DIEGO UNIFIED STUDENTS MAKE STRONG GAINS IN LITERACY AND MATH

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE        

Media Contact:
Marisa Berumen, mberumen@sandi.net, 619-847-6029 

SAN DIEGO UNIFIED STUDENTS MAKE STRONG GAINS IN LITERACY AND MATH

Morse High School Cluster is a Model for Student Success   

SAN DIEGO (MARCH 25, 2026) – Morse High School cluster students are examples of the success students at San Diego Unified School District schools are having in literacy and mathematics comprehension. The latest California School Dashboard shows Morse High School cluster at Green in English Language Arts, with students now averaging 15.2 points above the standard — an improvement from the prior year of 6.5 points and a notable gain since 2022, when Morse was 6.9 points below standard. Morse High School students also improved in math, by 12.2 points.

During a regular San Diego Unified Board of Education meeting held Tuesday night at Morse High School, the classroom lessons, students support and realtime data use was highlighted by educators and students alike as part of a progress monitoring report by district officials on math and literacy.  

"Our students' growth in both literacy and math reflects the intentional work happening in our classrooms every day," said Erika Simmons, Principal of Pacific View Leadership Elementary. "By knowing every student by name and by need while using student data to guide instruction and provide timely support, our teachers are able to meet students where they are and help them continue to grow and succeed."

According to the 2025 California Schools Dashboard, San Diego Unified schools' overall improvement in English Language Arts increased by +5.2 points compared to 2024 scores and in mathematics by +4.5 points compared to 2024 scores.

During the progress monitoring report, there were some advancements by students that district educators are very encouraged to see, including:

English Language Arts (Literacy)

Summative results—the evaluation of student learning at the end of the school year—show that San Diego Unified students are making meaningful progress:

San Diego Unified's Distance from Standard for ELA has surpassed its original projection, from 10.2 points to 12.4 points, exceeding its original annual growth goal.   

Latino students, English Learners and Students with Disabilities who once performed at a lower level are performing at a better rate, outpacing the district average and closing the achievement gap in literacy.

Mathematics

Formative results—the ongoing process of checking for understanding during learning—show overall growth in student learning is happening, considering that new math curriculum was introduced in grades K-5 in the 2025-26 school year:

Goal 3.1
55% of all students met mid year goal, which is close to 56.8%.

Goal 3.2
Goal was 28.8% and they have surpassed it to 40%, showing encouraging signs of students meeting their stretch growth goal, which is an ambitious goal individualized to each student.

Other Celebrations

Students Showing Strong Mid-Year Progress Across Reading and Math
At the midpoint of the school year, more than half of San Diego Unified students are on track to meet end-of-year goals—56% in reading and nearly 55% in math—putting the district within reach of its annual targets.

Accelerating Progress for Students Who Need It Most
Students receiving additional academic support are making strong gains, with 43.5% of ELA Spotlight students and 40.0% of Math Spotlight students already meeting ambitious mid-year growth goals—an encouraging sign that achievement gaps are beginning to close.

Middle School Students Leading the Way
Eighth grade students are showing the strongest momentum, with more than half meeting expected growth in both reading and math.

Growth Happening at Every Level

Students who began the year at or above grade level are continuing to excel, with more than 70% meeting growth goals. At the same time, students across all levels are making meaningful academic progress—reflecting a system focused on growth for every student.

District leaders attribute the improvements to numerous factors that vary by schools, but a common factor is the growing use of student achievement data by educators to help students make real-time adjustments that support students. 

"Our educators are now becoming increasingly comfortable with using student achievement data dashboards throughout the school year to evaluate areas students are seeing growth and where they need extra support," said Superintendent Fabi Bagula, Ph.D., San Diego Unified. "We're seeing gradual districtwide progress because our educators are now able to intervene before a child falls behind. We still have a lot of work to do to meet our student achievement goals by 2030."

Other actions district educators are taking to address and help improve student outcomes include: professional learning from the University of Washington's Center for Educational Leadership (CEL) with area superintendents, district leaders and principal leadership coaches. All principals are part of instructional walks looking at data, student experiences and instruction with the CEL learnings in cohorts with other principals.  

San Diego Unified's four student achievement goals guide the district's academic and wellness priorities are: 

• Goal #1: Improve Student Wellness, 
• Goal #2: Increase Communication Skills and Literacy Achievement,  
• Goal #3: Increase Problem Solving Skills and Mathematics Achievement and
• Goal #4: Increase College and Career Readiness. 

To learn more about San Diego Unified School District, visit www.SanDiegoUnified.org.

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Strategic Communications & Information San Diego Unified School District   Office: 619-725-5578 Email: communications@sandi.net   4100 Normal Street San Diego, CA 92103   www.sandiegounified.org

SAN DIEGO UNIFIED BOARD OF EDUCATION UNANIMOUSLY APPROVES INITIATION OF NAME CHANGE PROCESS FOR CESAR CHAVEZ ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: 

Marisa Berumen, 619-847-6029, mberumen@sandi.net 

SAN DIEGO UNIFIED BOARD OF EDUCATION UNANIMOUSLY APPROVES INITIATION OF NAME CHANGE PROCESS FOR CESAR CHAVEZ ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Board Action Launches Formal, Community-Engaged Process Centered on 

Transparency, Inclusion and Student Well-being

SAN DIEGO (March 24, 2026) – The San Diego Unified School District Board of Education has unanimously approved the initiation of the formal process to consider renaming of César Chávez Elementary School, in alignment with Board Policy 7310 and Administrative Regulation 7310, which guide the naming and renaming of district facilities.

The board's action marks the first step in a structured, community-driven process designed to ensure transparency, inclusivity, and meaningful engagement. While Administrative Regulation 7310 typically limits the district to one school name or mascot change per year, the Board's unanimous approval of this item allows for a second name change proposal to be considered in the remaining time left during the 2025-26 school year. This action reflects the significance of this moment and the need to respond thoughtfully to community concerns. Final approval of a name change for César Chávez Elementary School will be considered once the school community submits a proposal for the Board's consideration.

Superintendent Bagula stated, "We recognize that this is not a simple or easy moment. It calls for us to lead with clarity, with care, and with integrity. Our focus remains on supporting our students and community, creating space for meaningful dialogue, and ensuring that the outcome of this process reflects the values we hold as a district."

This action follows recent developments that led to a joint statement issued by the Board of Education and Superintendent Bagula:

"There is no place—ever—for the abuse of children or any person, anywhere. San Diego Unified is committed to supporting our community through this moment by creating the space and structure for thoughtful, respectful conversations—grounded in truth, centered on students, and responsive to those most impacted. While Cesar Chavez has long been honored for his contributions to civil rights and farmworker advocacy, these reports are serious, concerning and deeply troubling. Our first responsibility is to acknowledge and support anyone who may have been harmed. As we move forward, including conversations about a school that bears his name, our focus will be on listening deeply to better understand the impact to the school community and how we might collectively move forward in a way that prioritizes student safety and a sense of belonging."

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Strategic Communications & Information San Diego Unified School District   Office: 619-725-5578 Email: communications@sandi.net   4100 Normal Street San Diego, CA 92103   www.sandiegounified.org

San Diego Unified Announces Update on Classified Staffing, Identifies Opportunities to Reduce Potential Layoffs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: 

Marisa Berumen, mberumen@sandi.net, 619-847-6029 

San Diego Unified Announces Update on Classified Staffing, 

Identifies Opportunities to Reduce Potential Layoffs

District highlights ongoing efforts to place impacted staff in available positions while continuing negotiations with labor partners

SAN DIEGO (March 23, 2026) – San Diego Unified School District announces an update on its ongoing reduction in force (RIF) process for classified employees, with encouraging progress toward minimizing the number of staff impacted by potential layoffs.

Each year, state law requires school districts to make staffing decisions in March—often before final budget details are known. While this is a procedural requirement, district leaders acknowledge that the impact on staff is deeply personal and taken with the utmost seriousness.

Following earlier notifications regarding classified position eliminations, district teams have conducted a comprehensive analysis of current vacancies, anticipated openings for the upcoming school year, and the approximately 70 staff who do not have bumping rights under current agreements.

As a result of this work, the district has identified meaningful opportunities to place a significant number of impacted staff into existing or anticipated positions for the 2026–27 school year.

"We believe there are meaningful opportunities to place a significant number of our impacted colleagues into existing positions or new and anticipated positions for the coming year, with the goal of eliminating or significantly reducing the number of colleagues who would otherwise not have a position with San Diego Unified next school year," said Superintendent Dr. Fabiola Bagula.

This work is ongoing and remains preliminary, and final outcomes will be shaped through continued negotiations with our labor partners.

The district's Labor Relations and Human Resources teams are actively working with classified labor partners, including PARA and OTBS, as well as CSEA-affiliated units, to explore placement pathways and potential agreements that support employee retention while maintaining fiscal responsibility.

"We know these decisions carry real impact for our colleagues and their families," said Dr. Bagula. "Our focus is to do everything within our control to create pathways forward and retain our colleagues who serve our students every day."

San Diego Unified will continue refining placement opportunities, monitoring vacancies, and negotiating in good faith with labor partners in the coming weeks. The district remains committed to minimizing disruption and, wherever possible, preventing involuntary layoffs.

The Board of Education will receive an update on these efforts at its upcoming public meeting, Tuesday, March 24, 2026.

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Strategic Communications & Information San Diego Unified School District   Office: 619-725-5578 Email: communications@sandi.net   4100 Normal Street San Diego, CA 92103   www.sandiegounified.org