Fillmore trustees recognize staff, student achievements; San Cayetano Elementary highlights reading, CAASPP gains

Trustees and district leaders used the meeting to recognize staff and student achievements across Fillmore Unified and to receive a principal's presentation from San Cayetano Elementary School.

Superintendent Christine Sheffley highlighted several district items: about 49 Sierra High students attended the Ventura County Office of Education alternative education summit; district athletic teams advanced to CIF postseason play (with several individual qualifiers and a first‑ever girls wrestling CIF champion at Fillmore High School); and the Fillmore High School Academic Decathlon team earned 17 medals and a year‑over‑year team score increase (the superintendent cited a team score of 19,351 in 02/2021 and 25,790 in 02/2025). Sheffley also recognized Deputy Rufagalba and Deputy Avila for school resource officer support and thanked Ventura County sheriff's office leadership for partnership.

The board recognized Trina Tafoya, Fillmore Unified director of special education, as a Region 13 special education administrator of the year by the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA); trustees praised Tafoya's work expanding inclusion models and improving the district's special education services.

Student representative Presley McLean reported extracurricular achievements: four Fillmore High students won first‑place awards at an art show (a $1,000 scholarship pool distributed at $200 each), and the academic decathlon team earned its highest team score in five years. McLean also summarized athletic updates and upcoming school cultural events and the spring play opening March 28.

San Cayetano Elementary Principal Crystal Saravia Rocha presented a school update. She reported 537 students on campus, roughly 307 certificated staff and 57 classified staff; the site houses a functional skills program for TK–5 comprising six classrooms and about 50 students. The site reported CAASPP and interim data gains in several grades and subject areas: a 9.1 percentage‑point increase in fourth‑grade ELA proficiency year over year and notable math gains (third‑grade math proficiency rose from 14.3% to 30.3% year over year; fourth‑grade math improved from 10.6% to 25.8%). San Cayetano reported substantial progress for students with disabilities in math (an increase cited from 0% in 2023 to 14.7% in 2024).

The principal described reading intervention operations: 98 students were being serviced by two reading intervention teachers (two teachers run up to ten groups each, with groups capped at six students for 30 minutes, pulled during WIN time to avoid interrupting core instruction); nine students had exited or paused intervention and two students had entered special education. Counselors recorded 613 sessions from August to January, including 322 check‑ins, 34 individual counseling sessions, 11 group sessions and 46 wellness breaks; the school distributed backpacks and basic‑needs items to students in need.

San Cayetano students also presented on the site's "Battle of the Books" program: 28 regularly attend meetings, seven students attended the county competition and the site thrifted 133 copies (7 copies of each of 19 titles) for participating teams. Trustees praised students and staff for literacy and engagement gains.

Ending: Trustees extended congratulations to staff and students, invited the public to athletic and arts events and thanked school leaders for the site presentation. Several trustees emphasized the importance of sustaining gains across sites and continuing parent and community engagement.