The Kern County Board of Education adopted a resolution recognizing April Raguinden of Douglas K. Fletcher Elementary as the county's representative in the 2026 California Teacher of the Year program, praising her work creating an edible schoolyard and expanding hands-on learning.

The resolution, read into the record by board staff, thanked Raguinden for two decades of teaching, described her role as a certified reading interventionist, and noted that she will represent Kern County and the state in the National Teacher of the Year competition. "This resolution be entered into the official minutes of the Kern County Board of Education and that a copy be presented to April Raguinden as a token of our esteem," the resolution states.

Assistant superintendent Russell Santos gave a presentation on Camp Keep, the county's residential outdoor science program. Santos said the 2025–26 program will involve roughly 8,171 students across campuses (about 3,400 at one ocean site and 4,300 at the other), with about 1,342 adult chaperones. He highlighted recent COSA (California Outdoor School Association) certification, a fundraising effort that raised $11,000 despite rain, and efforts to expand access to foster, special education and migrant students. "For every foster child that goes, it has to be approved by a judge for them to leave the county," Santos said, explaining a legal and procedural dependency for some participants.

Students who attended Camp Keep spoke to the board about their experiences. "My favorite experience at Camp Keep was most likely how we got to disconnect from electronics and how we got to explore nature," student Hayden Hensel said. Other students described crafts, tide-pool exploration and night hikes as highlights.

On routine business, trustees approved the consent agenda item to accept graduation diplomas and handled other noncontroversial docket items (an annual resolution of support for mock trial competitions was moved and the Williams Act uniform complaint quarterly reports were accepted and filed). The board adjourned and scheduled its next regular meeting for Feb. 10 at 6:30 p.m.