The first day of school is always special, but this year it held even deeper meaning for obvious reasons. It was a real pleasure for me to visit some of our local schools as students arrived for the start of the new school year. You could feel the joy and excitement as students were welcomed back by their teachers from Ojai to Oxnard to Westlake and everywhere in between.

In its most recent communication on August 9, 2021, Ventura County Public Health (VCPH) addressed “new testing requirements” with a reference to guidance from California Department of Public Health (CDPH) on June 16, 2021, which indicated: “Testing is one layer in a multi-layered approach to COVID-19 prevention, in addition to other key measures such as vaccination, mask wearing, improved ventilation, physical distancing, and respiratory and hand hygiene.”VCPH’s gui...

From masks and vaccinations to remote learning, there are many questions about the new school year that is now getting underway in Ventura County. Dr. César Morales, Ventura County Superintendent of Schools, addressed some of these pressing questions in a live virtual Q&A presented by the Ventura County Star that was held on Monday, August 16. A video recording of the event is now available to watch at the link below. Watch it in EnglishVerlo en español 

From COVID-19 safety to student mental health, there are many questions about the new school year that is now getting underway in Ventura County. Dr. César Morales, Ventura County Superintendent of Schools, will address some of these pressing questions in a live virtual Q&A on Monday, August 16 at 6:00 PM.  WHAT: Live Back to School Q&A WHO: Dr. César Morales, Ventura County Superintendent of Schools WHEN: Monday, August 16, 2021, at 6:00 PM HOW TO WATCH...

Dr. César Morales, Ventura County Superintendent of Schools, today applauded a new move by the State of California to require all school employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly testing. “With the continuing spread of the highly contagious Delta variant, this is a commonsense step that will help ensure the safety of students and employees as schools reopen for the new year,” said Dr. Morales. “Most school employees are already vaccinated, and I&rsquo...

Very soon, Ventura County students will begin heading back to class for the start of the 2021-2022 school year. Students in the Oak Park Unified School District are the first to return on August 9 and will be followed by their peers in the county’s 19 other school districts over the next few weeks.To say there is an unusual amount of excitement and anxiety over the start of this school year is an understatement. We’ve all been on an emotional rollercoaster since the pandemic started....

On July 1, Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 104 requiring school districts to implement policies that give students opportunities to counteract the negative impact of the pandemic on academic achievement and graduation credits. The new state law includes the requirement that districts grant students the opportunity to change low grades to a "Pass" or "No Pass" option.

Seventh-grade students from Somis School will be the first to experience a new high-tech learning lab opening at the Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE) in Camarillo next week. It’s called the LMNOP Lab, which stands for Learning Makes New Opportunities Possible. The lab is outfitted with large interactive displays and all of the tools students will need to complete various technology-oriented projects.  The students will enjoy a full week of interactive learning about computer ...

To help clear up any confusion regarding the California Department of Public Health's (CDPH)  guidance around mask-wearing at schools, the Ventura County Office of Education is providing the below flyers in English and Spanish. They aim to clarify when masks will be required for students and adults in a school setting. According to the CDPH, school districts are obligated to plan for and enforce the mask guidelines. Individual school districts will communicate directly with parents what...

With some Ventura County school districts already offering ethnic studies, and others considering developing courses, the Ventura County Office of Education is sharing these questions and answers about ethnic studies.