Principals report gains in mastery and attendance; board hears staffing and safety priorities
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Summary
Superintendent and school principals reviewed school performance and improvement plans, highlighted gains in mastery and chronic absenteeism reductions, reported the high school as "distinguished" with a 94.7 score, and urged sustaining investments in support staff, SSOs and permanent substitutes to preserve instructional gains.
The Orange County School Board heard detailed reports from principals across the district highlighting academic initiatives, attendance efforts and staffing needs.
Principals described a range of tactics aimed at improving student outcomes: stronger family communication, weekly attendance meetings, student ambassador programs, tutoring and early intervention tied to MTSS, PLC- and lead-teacher-driven professional development, and curricular adoptions (for example CKLA in elementary, StudySync and Mathspace at secondary). Several principals said chronic absenteeism remains a top priority and described incentive programs, morning remediation blocks and expanded extracurriculars to boost engagement.
Orange County High School principal Nicholas (Nick) Sadano reported the high school is classified as a "distinguished" school. He presented component scores and said the school achieved an overall performance score of 94.7 out of 100, attributing the result to coordinated counseling, instructional leadership and targeted supports. He highlighted OC initiatives such as a year-long algebra program, an OC remediation block, and expanded advanced coursework and credentialing through CTE.
Principals and administrators also stressed operational staffing that supports instruction: instructional assistants (IAs), permanent substitutes, and School Security Officers (SSOs). Administration said SSOs at several buildings have been "absolutely instrumental" in preventing disruptive behavior and freeing administrators to perform instructional leadership duties. Board members and principals asked that SSOs, permanent subs and other support positions be prioritized in budget discussions to maintain gains and reduce teacher turnover.
Board members noted the division has substantially reduced vacancies from nearly 90 to roughly 23 since earlier in the board's term and thanked staff for recruitment and retention work. They emphasized continued focus on pay and staffing stability as essential to sustain student progress.
What comes next: principals will continue midyear reviews with division staff and the administration expects to circulate linked slide decks and quantitative performance data to the board for follow-up and review.