Virginia Rocca Barden principal outlines PLC work, attendance incentives and community partnerships

At the Alisal Union School District board meeting, Virginia Rocca Barden Elementary School Principal Luis Romero presented a detailed school overview, citing instructional improvements, attendance incentives and community partnerships aimed at improving student outcomes.

"We will provide a high quality, comprehensive, meaningful instruction for all students," Romero said as he described his school’s focus on professional learning communities and common schedules to protect Tier‑1 instruction time.

Romero described a Professional Learning Community (PLC) initiative that followed a site team visit to a national PLC institute and subsequent work with Solution Tree to establish a master schedule so grade‑level teams teach core subjects at common times. He said the change helps coordinate services — for instance, speech and counseling — while reducing the need to pull students from core instruction.

School profile and services: Romero said Virginia Rocca Barden serves about 522 students in TK–6, with close to 70 percent designated English learners and a high share of students identified as socioeconomically disadvantaged. The school operates bilingual and newcomer programs and two special day classrooms for grades 3–6. Romero reported year‑to‑date referrals to the coordination of services team (COST) and other student support services and described early evidence of student growth on diagnostic assessments.

Partnerships and supports: Romero highlighted partnerships that provide in‑person speech services through CSUMB student clinicians and supervisors, and a Brighter Bites partnership that delivers fresh produce to families and staff and provides digital lessons on healthy eating. He also noted an expanded learning program that sent students to a Tech Challenge event at Hartnell College where students and the district received recognition from Salinas City Council.

Attendance incentives and events: The school runs attendance incentives including trimester raffles and an end‑of‑year bicycle program supported by Alisal Rotary that rewarded students with perfect attendance; trimester winners receive electronics donated by the Rotary. Romeo noted chronic absenteeism improved compared with a prior year and that attendance incentives were contributing.

Facilities: Romero thanked the district for recent facilities work, including additional restrooms and a new marquee; he said restroom availability had been a staff issue and that new restrooms should reduce lines during lunch and recess.

Why it matters: Romero’s presentation outlines concrete, school‑level instructional scheduling and support changes meant to minimize loss of core instructional time and increase coordinated interventions, and it highlights community partnerships that support health and speech services.

Ending: Trustees asked follow‑up questions about class size, referrals trend and program details; Romero said staff will return with additional data as benchmarks are finalized.