La Mesa-Spring Valley School District
La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools is a high-performing school district located just east of San Diego. The District is committed to high student performance embedded in a culture of quality and continuous improvement. We embrace diversity. Collaboration is valued among all stakeholder groups and the interest-based process is used as the core for problem solving. The District covers 26 square miles and serves 11,978 pupils (not including preschool) with 16 elementary schools (grades K-6), one middle school (grades 7-8), one literacy academy (grades K-4), and three specialty academies (grades 4-8). The District employs just over 2,000 people with an annual general fund budget of approximately $138 million[1]
Communities We Serve
Communities served include the City of La Mesa, a portion of the City of El Cajon, and the unincorporated communities of Mt. Helix, Casa de Oro, and Spring Valley, all within San Diego County.
| La Mesa-Spring Valley School District | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| 4750 Date Ave. La Mesa, California 91941 United States | |
| District information | |
| Motto | A heart for students |
| Grades | K–8 |
| President | Rebecca McCrae |
| Vice-president | Chardá Bell-Fontenot |
| Superintendent | David Feliciano |
| Asst. Superintendent(s) | Guido Magliato |
| Schools | 21 |
| Budget | $138 Million |
| Affiliation(s) | Grossmont Unified High School District |
| Students and staff | |
| Students | 11798 |
| Staff | 2000 |
| Other information | |
| Website | www |
Board of Education
Citizen oversight of local government is the cornerstone of democracy in the United States. La Mesa-Spring Valley Board of Education members are locally elected and entrusted with governing all of the schools within the La Mesa-Spring Valley School District.[2] The role of the board is to ensure that the school district is responsive to the values, beliefs, and priorities of the community. The board fulfills this role by performing five major responsibilities: setting direction, establishing an effective and efficient structure, providing support, ensuring accountability, and providing community leadership as advocates for children, the school district and public schools. These five responsibilities represent core functions that are so fundamental to a school system’s accountability to the public that they can only be performed by an elected governing body. Authority is granted to the board as a whole, not each member individually. Therefore, board members fulfill these responsibilities by working together as a governance team with the superintendent to make decisions that will best serve all the students in the community.
[3]In November midterm elections 2018, Board Vice President, [4]Chardá Bell-Fontenot, at 33 years of age, became the youngest and only African American female democrat elected to serve in the history of the district.[5]
Election results
LA MESA-SPRING VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Total Number of Precincts 86
Precincts Reporting 86 100.0 %
Times Counted 50852 / 78072 65.1%
Total Votes 98987
Vote For 3
REBECCA MCRAE 21640 21.86%
CHARDÁ FONTENOT[6] 16148 16.31%
MEGAN EPPERSON 14520 14.67%
BRIANNA GARZA 14274 14.42%
STEVE BABBITT13877 14.02%
JERRY LECKO 12734 12.86%
MATTHEW A. SABLOVE 5572 5.63%
Trustee Areas
In response to the California Voting Rights Act, board members will be elected by trustee area beginning with the November 2020 election. This means that each member of the Board will be elected by one of five subdivisions of the District, also known as “trustee areas.” This change will not impact the current terms of Board members, but in the future voters will only vote once every four years for the Board member from their trustee area.
Superintendent
[7]David Feliciano was hired as the superintendent in 2018. He is quoted saying “I am honored to serve and support the children, families, and staff that constitute La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools. We are a learning community dedicated to providing children a pathway to a fulfilled life. Our schools are focused on the “whole child” which means we believe our mission is to nurture the character and heart of children as well as to educate them. La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools truly has a heart for our future.”Philosophy—A hero of mine (Fred Rogers) once said: “Love is at the root of everything, all learning, all relationships, love or the lack of it.”
Our purpose
To inspire learning and respect
Our Vision
La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools is a community of life-long learners who engage in continuous improvement and contribute positively to a global society, within a safe learning environment.
In order to achieve work purposefully and realize our vision we must:
- Make decisions based upon the best interest of all children.
- Honor individuality and diversity.
- Act with integrity.
- Partner with the community.
- Strive for excellence.
- Establish, measure and hold ourselves accountable to appropriate goals.
- Communicate effectively.
- Develop well-rounded learners.
- Explore a sense of possibility.
- Use resources wisely.
Elementary schools
The district's eighteen elementary schools include Avondale, Bancroft Elementary, Casa de Oro Elementary, Fletcher Hills, Highlands, Kempton Literacy & Language Academy, La Mesa Dale, La Presa Elementary, Lemon Avenue, Loma, Maryland Avenue, Glenn E. Murdock, Murray Manor, Northmont, Rancho, Rolando, and Sweetwater Springs.[8]
Middle schools
The La Mesa-Spring Valley School District operates five middle schools: Kempton Literacy Academy, La Mesa Arts Academy, Spring Valley Academy, STEAM Academy, and Parkway Middle School.[8]
Hybrid Schools
The school district operates additional learning options including Quest academy, TRUST Blended learning, EAK (early admission kindergarten), Preschool and Transitional kindergarten.
District Enrollment
(Grades K-6) (Grades 7-8) (Grades K-3) (Grades 4-8)
All Schools (11,798)
Grades K-3 (5,166)
Grades 4-8 (6,632)
Average Class Size
Grades K-3 26 to 1
Grades 4-8 29 to 1
Student Ethnicity
Hispanic 49%
White 28%
African American 9%
Two or More Races 8%
Asian 3%
Other 3%
Percentage of Unduplicated Pupils: 62%
The term “unduplicated pupils” refers to students who are English learners, meet income or categorical eligibility requirements for free or reduced-price meals, or are foster youth. The term unduplicated means that each pupil is counted only once even if the pupil meets more than one of these criteria.
Renovations
In 2002, the district raised $67 million through school bonds to repair and renovate schools.[9]
La Mesa-Spring Valley School District Measure V, a bond issue measure, was on the ballot as a referral in La Mesa-Spring Valley School District on November 3, 2020. It was approved.
| La Mesa-Spring Valley School District Measure V | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Yes | 42,311 | 63.33% | ||
| No | 24,497 | 36.67% | ||
COVID 19 Pandemic
[10] On Friday morning of March 13th 2020, an emergency board meeting was called to order for approval to close the schools indefinitely due to the global coronavirus pandemic. As of December 20th 2020, the school district remains in distance learning as the county of San Diego remains in the purple tier according to public health officials.
References
- Adopted Budget
- "Board of Education – La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools". Retrieved 2020-12-19.
- "SD VOTE ELECTION RESULTS" (PDF). SD vote.
- "HOME". Chardafontenot2018. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
- "Chardá Fontenot, 32". Ballot Breakers. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
- "Chardá Fontenot For LMSV School Board - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
- "Superintendent David Feliciano – La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools". Retrieved 2020-12-19.
- "District School Sites". La Mesa-Spring Valley School District. Retrieved 2014-08-21.
- Sanchez, Leonel (February 7, 2011). "La Mesa-Spring Valley schools bond program nears end". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 2014-08-21.
- "District COVID-19 Updates – La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools". Retrieved 2020-12-19.