District recognizes Lemon Grove volunteer groups and celebrates Golden Bell award

Superintendent Vincent and the Lemon Grove School District governing board used the Oct. 21 meeting to publicly thank local volunteer groups and celebrate a statewide award.

The board recognized three community groups the Lemon Grove Improvement Council, the Lemon Grove Forward Club and the Lemon Grove Lions Club for donating hundreds of backpacks to district students. "Our families and students have been incredibly appreciative and grateful," Superintendent Vincent said as he invited members of the groups to the podium for photographs and a round of applause. Trustees Smith, Preciado and Miller each offered thanks and described volunteer efforts they had observed in the community.

The board also recognized district work that earned the California School Boards Associations Golden Bell Award for Equitable Student Outcomes. Cabinet member Fulinaro described the districts multi-year curricular redesign and professional development work, noting improved outcomes for students identified as a district focus group and increased reclassification rates for multilingual learners. "This work is around planning with the five pursuits in mind," Fulinaro said, and she described partnerships with Helix Charter High School and San Diego State University as part of the implementation strategy.

Trustees praised staff and principals for implementation. Trustee Miller said she remembered the community impact of giving children back-to-school items and called the award "monumental." Trustee Smith and others thanked staff for the sustained systems work that the board said led to measurable gains.