News Briefs | FYI
March 16, 2026
Recognizing classified staff
The Walnut Valley Unified School District proudly celebrated its 27th annual “A Class Act” Cornerstone Awards Banquet on Feb.12.
The ceremony recognized 12 outstanding classified employees, who were each recognized monthly throughout 2025. Guided by this year’s district theme, “The Story Wins,” the district celebrated the 726 Walnut Valley classified employees who shape the story of students and their success every day.
The event was hosted by Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Dr. Diane Perez and Director of Human Resources Dr. Robby Jung.
Established in 1999, the Cornerstone Award recognizes classified employees for going the “extra mile” to support our students, teachers, and schools.
The Walnut Valley Unified School District proudly celebrated its 27th annual “A Class Act” Cornerstone Awards Banquet on Feb.12.
CA public health dept. tracking outbreaks of measles
The California Department of Public Health is urging Californians to check their immunization status and get vaccinated against measles after local health departments have notified the state of multiple recent cases of measles.
In late February, Sacramento County reported a measles case in an unvaccinated toddler who had recently traveled to an area in South Carolina with an ongoing measles outbreak. Placer County then identified measles cases in three siblings from a different household who had direct contact with the toddler. These four cases represent the third outbreak of measles in California in 2026.
On March 4, a fifth case was reported by Sacramento County to CDPH in a child from the same community who attended an educational enrichment program where as many as 130 children may have been exposed to the child while they were infectious.
On March 5, Placer County reported a sixth case in another unvaccinated child from a different household within the same community.
“Measles, one of the most contagious infections, can lead to severe life-long consequences including permanent brain damage and can also be fatal, especially for children,” said Dr. Erica Pan, CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer, in a news release. “The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is safe and provides long-lasting protection against measles. Vaccination protects both our own families and those who are too young to be fully vaccinated.”
Two doses of the MMR vaccine are 97 percent effective at stopping illness.
The Sacramento area cases come after the CDPH reported eight related cases in Shasta County, the state’s first measles outbreak since 2020. As of March 2, 2026, a total of 26 measles cases have been reported in nine counties statewide. In 96 percent of cases, patients were unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status.
Elsewhere in the United States, one of the largest outbreaks in over 30 years is happening in South Carolina with 990 associated cases as of March 3. In the South Carolina outbreak, measles cases spread quickly in unvaccinated communities, often within individual families, groups of homeschooled children and religious communities with low rates of vaccination.
For updated measles activity in California, visit the CDPH Measles webpage at www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Immunization/measles.aspx. The CDPH has also produced a Measles Toolkit that provides fliers and sample messaging in multiple languages. The toolkit is available at www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/OPA/Pages/Communications-Toolkits/Measles.aspx.
Three briefs break down absenteeism in California
Analyzing data from the California Department of Education, three research briefs offer new insights into absenteeism trends and the types of investments needed to reduce the alarmingly high levels of chronic absence in the state.
Since California’s 5.8 million public school students make up over 12 percent of all students nationwide, these trends offer a window into what is needed to improve student outcomes across the nation.
The briefs, authored by researchers with AttendanceWorks, Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE), and The School Policy, Action, and Research Center (SPARC) at UC Davis, indicate where lack of access to learning opportunities are most problematic, and shed light on where partnerships with families, educators, policy makers and communities are essential to improve student engagement and attendance, starting with our youngest students.
“Today, like most states in the nation, the decrease in chronic absence levels in California is slowing. This sluggishness reflects an even greater need for intentional investment, over time, in engaging students and families, as well as in helping them overcome barriers to getting to school,” said Hedy Chang, CEO and president of Attendance Works, in a news release.
The first brief unpacks California’s chronic absence crisis using eight key facts. One of the facts is nearly half of schools have high (defined as 20-29 percent of students) or extreme (defined as 30 percent or more) levels of chronic absence as of 2024-25. Another fact: Chronic absence is most pervasive in the highest poverty schools, where its consequences are also most severe. Chronic absence remains far above pre-pandemic levels and the rate of decline is slowing, pointing to a greater need for investment in measures that improve student engagement and remove barriers to attending schools.
“The slowing decline in chronic absence shows that recovery will require sustained investment,” said Lupita Alcala, executive director of PACE, in a news release. “The data make clear that we must act with urgency — particularly for students experiencing poverty, homelessness, foster care involvement or students with disabilities—so that recovery efforts reach those who have been most affected.”
The second brief looks at absenteeism between kindergarten and first grade and reveals that trends that start in kindergarten persist into first grade. For instance, chronically absent kindergartners were 7.2 times more likely to be chronically absent in 1st grade versus nonchronically absent kindergartners, underscoring the need to tackle chronic absence early before negative impacts on learning and development accumulate.
“While families are aware of the importance of kindergarten and first grade, some face systemic barriers to attendance,” said Professor Kevin Gee, with the University of California, Davis, SPARC, in a news release. “Intentionally focusing on reducing kindergarten absences has the potential to break the cycle of persistent absenteeism which has long-term impacts on student learning and well-being.”
The third brief analyzes the relationship between district mobility and chronic absence in grades K-3. Researchers found that chronically absent K-3 students are more likely to change districts between school years, and to remain chronically absent in their new districts compared to those who stayed. They also found that Black K-3 students and students experiencing homelessness who are chronically absent have the highest chance of changing districts. The analysis highlights how mobile students need targeted assistance in order to break the cycle of chronic absence.
FYI
Student athletes can apply for CalHOPE scholarships
The CalHOPE Courage Award Scholarship Program is a statewide scholarship program for high school senior student athletes. Each of the 25 recipients will earn a $2,500 scholarship and get to share their story. Their high school athletic department will also receive a $500 grant to support future student athletes. To apply, student-athletes who are graduating seniors must complete a pair of essays — one sharing their personal journey of overcoming adversity and the other summarizing their athletic accomplishments. To apply or learn more, go to calhopecourageaward
scholarship.org. Scholarships will be awarded monthly through June 2026.
Financial literacy educator conference coming April 11
Celebrate Financial Literacy Month with a free virtual conference, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 11. Join Next Gen Personal Finance for a full day of learning designed around educators’ goals in the classroom and their own financial confidence. Throughout the day, sessions are offered along three pathways, whether attendees are new to NGPF, building content confidence, or exploring classroom tools and resources. View all sessions and register at ngpf.org/events.
CDE seeks parents for EL Roadmap Focus Groups
The California Department of Education Multilingual Support Division is convening two critical focus groups on April 23 to gather direct input for the EL Roadmap Statewide Implementation Plan. Partners and education leaders are encouraged to share this opportunity with parent-leaders. The official invitation letter and participation form is available at bit.ly/ELRoadmapFocusGroups.