SAN MARCOS, Calif. — San Marcos Unified used its Year‑in‑Review event on Thursday to highlight staff awards and a program that has administrators job‑shadow classified employees to build empathy for behind‑the‑scenes roles.

Dr. Joel Garcia, assistant superintendent of human resources, announced district honorees including certificated and classified employees of the year and said four district employees will be recognized at an annual employee event next week. He listed employees from classroom teachers to instructional aides and special‑education coordinators.

Garcia and other speakers described ACE — Appreciating Classified Employees — a program that pairs managers and board members with classified staff for a day of job‑shadowing. A video played for the board shows administrators working alongside custodians, instructional aides and nutrition staff; presenters said the program is now an annual practice and that board members had already volunteered to participate in the current year.

Why it matters: district leaders said spotlighting classified employees and offering on‑the‑job shadowing strengthens respect and shared understanding across the district and supports staff retention and professional growth.

Clarifying details: district-wide nominations produced employee‑of‑the‑year honorees from each site; the ACE day is coordinated with CSEA (the classified employees’ union) and will be repeated annually, district staff said. No specific budget or participation totals were provided in the presentation.

Looking ahead: the district will present employee awards at a recognition event next week and continue the ACE job‑shadow day program.