New student test score data released today by the California Department of Education will help Ventura County educators provide support and interventions where they are needed the most. The test results show student performance in math and English Language Arts on the 2021-22 California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP). The 2021-22 school year was the first that CAASPP was fully administered since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020-21, only about half of Ventura C...

The Ventura County Transition Fair will help young adults with disabilities (ages 15-22 years old) prepare for the quality adult life they envision. Students, parents, teachers, and care providers are invited to join us at this free virtual event. Meet local agency representatives and gain information to assist with making adult life decisions.  WHAT: 2022 Ventura County Virtual Transition Fair DATE: Wednesday, November 9, 2022 SCHEDULE: 5:30 pm: Welcome 6:00 pm: Interact with age...

The Ventura County Office of Education is joining state health officials in warning schools and families about a new and concerning version of the synthetic opioid known as fentanyl. In a letter to superintendents and charter school administrators, California Department of Public Health Director and State Public Health Officer Tomás J. Aragón sounded the alarm on “rainbow fentanyl,” a potentially fatal drug that comes in a variety of forms and bright colors. The U....

What to Expect in the New School Year • Free Bus Rides for Kids Coming Soon • Get a Head Start on College Savings • High-Speed Internet for All • 16-Year-Olds Can Pre-Register to Vote • 3,000 Backpacks for Kids in Need • High-Tech Learning at the LMNOP Lab • A Perfect Venue for Your Next Event

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.