Dear Benicia Community,
I hope this email finds you well and everyone is looking forward to the three-day weekend.
Last night’s board meeting had some notable moments I want to share with you. First, we celebrated certificated, classified, and management employees who were selected as employees of the year by their site or department. This is always one of my favorite board meetings as it allows us to pause and recognize the outstanding contributions and commitment to excellence taking place every day on behalf of our students. Congratulations to all of our outstanding Employees of the Year! This link provides the names of those staff members who were recognized last night. Well done everyone!
In my last community update, I announced that I will be retiring at the end of this school year. To find my replacement, the Board took action last night to contract with McPherson & Jacobson, L.L.C. to begin the process of finding your next BUSD Superintendent. The Board will provide ongoing updates as they move through this important process. Benicia Unified School District, as well as the city of Benicia, have a wonderful reputation in the broader community and I am confident talented leaders will be interested in joining this amazing school district and town. There will be a special board meeting this Thursday the 24th starting at 5:00 P.M. to discuss the search process with the McPherson & Jacobson, L.L.C.
Finally, the Board and I received a number of emails yesterday calling for the end of the mask mandate ahead of the Governor and CDPH making that decision. As I noted last night, the Governor’s office will be providing an update on the mask mandate for schools on February 28, which is a little over a week away.
In anticipation of the Governor’s update on February 28, we will be working closely with both of our employee groups to ensure we are fully prepared and ready to move forward should modifications to the mask mandate be made by the Governor and the CDPH. As a community, it is important that we continue to come together on behalf of our students. During the special board meeting noted above, the Board will also be discussing the steps involved in responding to any changes to the mask mandate from the Governor and the CDPH.
We appreciate everyone’s partnership as we navigate the effects of the virus on society and the profound desire that we can all return to a more normal lifestyle.
Sincerely,
Charles F. Young, Ed. D
Superintendent