In the next few weeks, nearly 130,000 students from all corners of Ventura County will be heading back to class for the 2022-2023 school year. It’s hard to believe, but this is the fourth school year in a row to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The good news is that we’ve come a long way from the days of remote learning and mandatory masking. This year, students will again be learning in person, masks will be optional, and most school activities will take place without restrictions. 

By Dr. César Morales, Ventura County Superintendent of SchoolsThe mass shooting that claimed 21 lives at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas is the latest incidence of what’s become a horrifyingly common occurrence in our nation. Here in Ventura County, students, parents, and school employees are understandably scared. As the father of a daughter in our local public school system, I profoundly relate to those fears. And as Ventura County’s Superintendent of Schools, ensuri...

For the first time, Dr. César Morales has been elected by voters as Ventura County Superintendent of Schools. He was initially appointed to the role in 2021 by the Ventura County Board of Education to fill the vacancy left by the retirement of former Superintendent Stan Mantooth. Upon his appointment, Dr. Morales made history by becoming the first Latino and first person of color to hold the office since it was created in 1873. Dr. Morales ran unopposed in yesterday’s primary electi...

Nate Padilla had a difficult family life as a boy. After his mom and dad split up, he bounced between his parents’ distant homes and by the time he got to middle school, he was angry. “It was always easier to be angry than any other emotion,” he says.

Kendall Brown learned about loss at a young age when his father was infected by a life-threatening flesh-eating bacteria. The doctors said the only hope for survival was amputation. But his dad, who had re-learned to walk after surviving a plane crash when he was in the military, couldn’t bear to give up his legs.

Carolina Martinez will be the first person in her family to attend a four-year university – and not just any university. She was admitted to the University of California, Berkeley, which is consistently ranked one of the nation’s best. “I started screaming, and my family thought something was wrong,” she recalls of the moment she got the good news.

With all the pressure to make friends, get good grades and get into college, high school is often a stressful experience. Throw in a worldwide pandemic that’s lasted for years, and it’s no surprise that students are feeling it.

When schools were closed due to the pandemic, Alex Loza decided to make good use of the extra time he had on his hands. He got a job delivering meals to the elderly and remembers how some of the recipients were so grateful they were brought to tears. “That really made me feel good about myself,” he says. “It made me realize the good I was doing in my community.”

Dr. César Morales, Ventura County Superintendent of Schools, is pleased to announce that Shannon Klemann from Adolfo Camarillo High School (ACHS) in the Oxnard Union High School District (OUHSD) is the 2022 Ventura County Teacher of the Year. Klemann and her students found out about the honor today when local school administrators made a surprise visit to her classroom.Klemann is a veteran educator who has taught in OUHSD schools for 23 years. She currently teaches biology in grades 9 thr...

He hasn’t even graduated from Adolfo Camarillo High School yet, but Hans Bach-Nguyen has built an enviable resume that spans five pages. In addition to stellar grades and test scores, it lists an impressive array of activities and achievements.