Category Archives: Benicia School Board

Benicia School Board, Benicia Unified School District, BUSD Superintendent Charles Young, Coronavirus, Covid 19, In-person learning, Re-opening, Virtual learning

Benicia School Superintendent Young: Letter on COVID-19 plans

YOUNG: “…transitioning to in-person instruction is not like flipping an on-off switch…. For now, we will remain in our virtual learning model until the Board approves any changes.”

Solano County COVID-19 Tier Status

Sep 22, 2020 | Latest News, nCoV
Charles F. Young, BUSD Superintendent

Dear BUSD Community,

I hope this communication finds everyone safe and well.

As you know, the Governor implemented a new Covid-19 monitoring system on Friday, August 28, 2020.  There are four tiers to the system: Tier 1 is purple-wide spread; Tier 2 is red-substantial; Tier 3 is orange-moderate, and Tier 4 is yellow-minimal.

As of today, September 22, 2020, Solano County has moved to Tier 2, red-substantial.  If our county remains in the Tier 2 status for 14 consecutive days, school districts will be permitted to hold in-person instruction.  The maintenance of Tier 2 status would allow for schools to implement an approved hybrid model as districts phase into in-person instruction. For more information on Solano County Covid-19 data, see https://covid19.ca.gov/safer-economy/

While we view this as positive news, it is important to note that transitioning to any in-person instruction, including the hybrid models presented before the start of the school year, takes a good deal of planning and preparation. Our administrators, teachers, staff, and Board have been working together to monitor the changing landscape and consider the District’s options. Our planning includes aspects that must be bargained with the teachers union (BTA) and the classified staff union (CSEA).

It is important to note that transitioning to in-person instruction is not like flipping an on-off switch; rather, it is more like bringing a sizable power-grid back on-line, which has to be done thoughtfully, carefully and judicially to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone involved.

We are currently working on next steps and will discuss them in detail at the October 16th Board meeting. For now, we will remain in our virtual learning model until the Board approves any changes.

We appreciate your patience as we work through this process with the health and safety of everyone involved as our primary goal.

In partnership,
Charles F. Young, Ed. D
Superintendent

Benicia School Board, Benicia Unified School District, BUSD Superintendent Charles Young, Coronavirus, Covid 19, Re-opening

Benicia Schools to begin school year in all virtual learning mode

Superintendent Charles Young: Start of School Update 7-17-2020

Jul 17, 2020 | BUSD Latest News, BUSD nCoV

Dear Benicia Community,

On behalf of the Board Trustees and myself, we hope this communication finds you healthy and safe during this challenging and ever changing time in our society due to Covid-19.  The complexity and unpredictability of this pandemic is calling upon all of us to be flexible and responsive in our decision making in order to protect and preserve the health and safety of those we serve.

With that said the Benicia Unified School District will begin the school year in an all virtual learning model.  We intend to work in the virtual learning model for the first quarter of the year. To remain responsive, we will review the status of our virtual learning model at each Board meeting throughout the first quarter.

While we intended to make this decision at our July 23rd Special Board meeting, the rate of case increase in our community, information gathered from our workforce and families, and uneven guidance being shared at the state and local level have compelled us to move up our decision making timeline.  On July 23rd we will instead focus on the details of the virtual learning model and the hybrid learning model that we intend to move into when we can safely move forward.

We know for some of you, this decision might come as a relief and for others, it will cause further challenges.  We all want students back in school, there is no disagreement there, but we must do so through exercising an abundance of caution. We are also reviewing the status of our childcare program to determine if we can safely expand capacity to support more of our families.

If you are not able to watch the Board meeting of July 23rd, please know the meetings are recorded and posted on our website for your convenience.  We will also put together a summary of key points and make that available to you in a Superintendent update..

Thank you so much for being patient, supportive and committed to the safety and well being of everyone in our community.  The Board and I wish there were easier answers to all of this but unfortunately, there are not. For now, we believe this is the most prudent course of action for the start of our school year together.

Charles F. Young, Ed.D.
Superintendent

Mark Maselli
Board Trustee

Diane B. Ferrucci
Board President

Sheri Zada
Board Trustee

Stacy Heldman-Holguin, Ed.D.
Board Clerk

Gethsamane Moss, Ed.D.
Board Trustee

Benicia City Council, Benicia School Board, Keeping Watch on Earth News, Local elections

Latest Benicia Election Results – no changes, just new numbers

By Roger Straw, November 10, 2018
[This is the most recent UPDATE, Nov. 9, 4:54 pm results.  – R.S.]
COUNTYWIDE VOTER TURNOUT 63.1%
Ballots Cast  142,097
Registered Voters  225,142
PRECINCTS REPORTING 100%
BENICIA RESULTS:
City Council: Strawbridge and Largaespada
School Board: Maselli, Zada and Ferrucci
Measure E Cannabis: YES
Provisional ballots yet to be counted: 193

Solano County Registrar of Voters
Election Results for Benicia

Run Date:11/09/18 4:54 PM (Next update 11/13/18 at End Of Day)

Same information as above, in text, can be copied/pasted:

County of Solano
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
Statewide General Election November 6, 2018
Run Date:11/09/18 04:54 PM

City of Benicia Member, City Council
Vote for no more than  2    (WITH 8 OF 8 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
Total Votes         %      
CHRISTINA STRAWBRIDGE  .  .  .  .  7,274   33.2%
LIONEL LARGAESPADA  .  .  .  .  .  .  .   6,556   29.9%
KARI BIRDSEYE .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .               5,758   26.3%
WILLIAM EMES JR. .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .           2,254   10.3%

Benicia Unified School District Member, Governing Board
Vote for no more than  3    (WITH 10 OF 10 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
Total Votes        %      
MARK MASELLI  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .      8,316   28.6%
SHERI ZADA .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .           7,721   26.5%
DIANE FERRUCCI.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .   6,018   20.7%
ADREAN HAYASHI.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  3,591   12.3%
GETHSEMANE MOSS  .  .  .  .  .  .   3,315   11.4%

City of Benicia Measure E – Cannabis tax
Vote for no more than  1    (WITH 8 OF 8 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
Total Votes      %      
YES  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .     9,873   76.3%
NO.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .        3,068   23.7

Benicia CA, Benicia City Council, Benicia School Board, Cannabis, Election results, Local elections, November election, Solano County Registrar of Voters

Benicia election results – unofficial but unlikely to change

By Roger Straw, November 7, 2018
[Editor – this is NOT the latest update.  For that, see Latest Benicia Election Results – no changes, just new numbers.  – R.S.]

Unofficial at this hour, but unlikely to change:
City Council: Strawbridge and Largaespada
School Board: Maselli, Zada and Ferrucci
Measure E Cannabis: YES

Solano County Registrar of Voters
Election Results

Run Date:11/07/18 01:14 AM (Next update 11/7/2018 at EOD)

Same information as above, in text, can be copied/pasted:

County of Solano
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
Statewide General Election November 6, 2018
Run Date:11/07/18 01:14 AM

TOTAL VOTES     %    ELECTION DAY  VOTE BY MAIL   PROVISIONAL

City of Benicia Member, City Council
Vote for no more than  2    (WITH 8 OF 8 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
CHRISTINA STRAWBRIDGE  .  .  .  .  .  .      6,279   33.47         2,195         4,084             0
LIONEL LARGAESPADA  .  .  .  .  .  .  .      5,554   29.61         1,933         3,621             0
KARI BIRDSEYE .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .      4,919   26.22         1,749         3,170             0
WILLIAM EMES JR. .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .      1,934   10.31           717         1,217             0
WRITE-IN.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .         72     .38            33            39             0

Benicia Unified School District Member, Governing Board
Vote for no more than  3    (WITH 10 OF 10 PRECINCTS COUNTED) MARK MASELLI  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .      7,138   28.61         2,507         4,631             0
SHERI ZADA .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .      6,582   26.38         2,375         4,207             0
DIANE FERRUCCI.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .      5,202   20.85         1,678         3,524             0
ADREAN HAYASHI.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .      3,082   12.35         1,058         2,024             0
GETHSEMANE MOSS  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .      2,810   11.26         1,082         1,728             0
WRITE-IN.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .        132     .53            45            87             0

City of Benicia Measure E – Cannabis tax
Vote for no more than  1    (WITH 8 OF 8 PRECINCTS COUNTED) YES  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .      8,421   76.17         2,892         5,529             0
NO.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .      2,634   23.83         1,132         1,502             0