Fresno Unified schools used to throw away millions of pounds of leftover food every year that students didn't eat. Now, much of that surplus is going to food pantries, homeless shelters, and other sites that feed the hungry across Fresno. The shift has been made through the efforts of Fresno...
300K to Expand ShotSpotter? Get It Done Today.
What if you could keep Fresno residents safer, significantly reduce gunfire, and take more guns off the street for $300,000? Most folks would say that's a great deal — let's do it today. But that's not how things work at City Hall, where the bureaucracy moves at glacial speeds and...
Impoverished Students at This School Chalk Up Big Successes
Design Science Middle College High School has achieved a lot since opening its doors in 2005. For the past two years, the school has maintained a 100 percent graduation rate with an average graduating class of 50 students. Every graduate also has been admitted to at least one college or...
How to Meet Workforce Demands? Duncan Poly Leads the Way.
For years, there has been a nationwide shortage of workers in vocational and technical careers, largely caused by society adopting a more college-going culture. According to Adecco, an estimated 31 million career tech jobs will be left vacant by the year 2020 due to Baby Boomer retirements. Fresno Unified, the fourth-largest...
When Will ‘All Means All’ Happen at Starr Elementary?
"All means all" is a slogan Fresno Unified Superintendent Bob Nelson often uses to describe inclusion efforts at California's fourth-largest school district. However, past and present trustees and parents argue that the district is not living up to the motto. Their dissatisfaction primarily stems from the situation at Dorothy Starr...
How To Fix FUSD Bus Driver Shortage? Make It Full-Time Job.
School bus driver shortages are a nationwide problem, prompting school districts to cancel routes and causing students to arrive late to school. Fresno Unified, the fourth-largest school district in California, is not immune to the problem but is making steady improvement. Back in January, the district reported being short eight...
African American Task Force Strives To Close FUSD Achievement Gap
After attending high schools in Fresno Unified and Clovis Unified, Adonai Howard noticed stark differences. "I feel like I learned more my freshman year at Clovis High School than I did the three years I was at Bullard High School," Howard said. "The social life that I had at Bullard...
Special-Ed Meeting Canceled After Trustee Terry Slatic Arrives
A meeting to discuss changes at Starr Elementary School involving special-education students was canceled Thursday afternoon shortly after Trustee Terry Slatic arrived. "I made it crystal clear that it is not my meeting, and that I am there to learn, to gain information so I can advise my constituents," said...
FUSD Teachers, Parents Voice Special Ed Concerns at Town Hall
Parents and teachers came together Wednesday night to share their views on improving special education programs in Fresno Unified schools. The district has faced criticism for years that it doesn't adequately support its special needs students. Fresno Unified has also faced lawsuits by parents of special education students. The town...
Fresno Trustees Want Students Learning English Faster
Several Fresno Unified trustees made it clear at their meeting Wednesday that they want to see the district's English Learner program raise its game. Among the improvements the trustees seek: Accelerating English proficiency, operating more dual language programs, and holding Saturday and after-school tutoring sessions for struggling students. The 27,000-plus...