California Senate Bill 328 requires all public and charter middle schools and high schools to make adjustments to bell schedules so that high schools begin no earlier than 8:30 am and middle schools begin no earlier than 8:00 am. There is no requirement for elementary schools. This bill was approved on October 13, 2019, and, even after years of litigation and advocacy, will go into effect on July 1, 2022. Because of this new legislation, Vista Unified high schools must adjust their bell schedules for the 2022-2023 school year.
These adjustments may affect the start times at middle and elementary schools due to traffic patterns, transportation, staffing, and other considerations.
We value the voices of our community as we address Senate Bill 328, which will impact bell schedules at Vista Unified schools. We invite all parents, teachers, staff, and students to join us for one of our virtual community forums and/or complete the community survey that is linked below. At the May 5th Board Meeting, the Board will consider your responses and feedback as they discuss, and ultimately vote on, adjustments to bell schedules in order to comply with the requirements of Senate Bill 328.
Community Surveys
- Community Survey Link - English - This survey will be open through May 3rd.
Community Forums
Last week, the governor’s office announced that the state will further delay the implementation of the student COVID-19 vaccination requirement for school attendance. Additionally, on April 14th, Senate Bill 871 was placed on hold. Introduced by Senator Pan, SB 871 would add the COVID-19 vaccination to the list of mandated vaccines required for students. The State of California announced last October that full approval by the FDA was a precondition to initiating the rulemaking process, adding the COVID-19 vaccine to other vaccinations required for in-person school attendance. The FDA has not yet fully approved COVID-19 vaccines for children within the 7-12 grade span. This means that the soonest the new requirement could take effect is July 1, 2023, effectively pushing back implementation to the 2023-24 school year. As a result, there will be no COVID-19 vaccination mandate for students for the 2022-23 school year.
SANDAG has teamed up with local and regional public transit systems (MTS, NCTD, and the County of San Diego) to connect youth to school, jobs, entertainment, and more. Starting May 1st, anyone 18-years-old and younger can ride transit for free in San Diego County through the SANDAG Youth Opportunity Pass pilot program. With a Youth PRONTO account, youth can get unlimited rides on the bus, trolley, COASTER, and SPRINTER through June 2023.
Please visit the SANDAG Youth Opportunity Pass website for more information.
Preparations are underway at all of our elementary, middle, and high schools for graduation and promotion ceremonies. The families of current kindergarteners, fifth graders, and eighth graders will be receiving information regarding dates and times of their promotions from each individual school site. At the high school level, seniors have already received graduation information, including senior contracts and information about caps and gowns. Families of our graduating seniors will receive ticket and ceremony information from their individual school sites. This time of the school year brings us a great sense of pride and appreciation for the accomplishments our students have made as scholars.
Vista Unified School District
