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Fallbrook district reports rising reading and math gains and urges continued federal advocacy for Impact Aid
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Summary
District leaders told the board that literacy and math proficiency have improved districtwide this year and urged continued advocacy for Impact Aid funding, which the district reports is approximately $6.5 million annually and described as chronically underfunded.
The Fallbrook Union Elementary School District reported multiple year‑to‑date gains in student achievement and attendance and used the update to press for continued advocacy on Impact Aid funding.
Assistant Superintendent Tabka Gustani presented STAR/CAST tracking and state‑comparison data showing district gains in English language arts and mathematics. "In English language arts, proficiency increased from 49 in October to 53.3% in March," Tabka told the board, and she highlighted cohort growth, grade‑level gains and targeted interventions for student groups that lag behind.
Tabka and other administrators emphasized the district's resource alignment plan — moving coaches, interventionists and focused supports where the data indicates greatest need — and described daily or weekly quick checks and small‑group reteach cycles designed to accelerate learning. The update singled out third grade as a near‑term priority because of a small dip in that grade's outcomes and described specific responses: increased reading volume, daily checks for understanding and a renewed focus on grade‑level text access.
Separately, superintendent Monica Hazel summarized the district's advocacy work in Washington, D.C. and with congressional staff. Hazel told the board the district receives "about $6,500,000 from Impact Aid," funding the counselors, behavior technicians, social workers and related services that support students from federally connected families. District presenters described Impact Aid as annually appropriated, not permanently funded, and said the program has been underfunded for decades, necessitating continual advocacy with lawmakers.
At the National Association of Federally Impacted Schools conference, district staff and trustees met with congressional staff and other advocates to make the case for more stable funding. Conference attendees who briefed the board explained Impact Aid basics and urged ongoing local outreach to elected officials, noting that the program's authorizing sections and formula yield wide gaps between current payments and what full funding would provide.
Board business that followed included routine approvals: updated board policies (second reading), authorization for the superintendent and a district leader to attend a leadership summit (registration $1,895 each; approximate total cost $3,000 each), adoption of Resolution No. 14‑2526 designating May 8, 2026 as Employee Appreciation Day, and approval of the declaration of need for fully qualified educators for 2026–27. All motions listed in the meeting packet passed as called.
Trustees praised recent school gains and asked how the board and community can help sustain momentum; administrators requested trustees share the district's story in the community and continue advocacy for Impact Aid.
