With responsibility for a $1 billion school district budget, the trustees of Fresno Unified have a say in spending more money than almost any other local public agency in the Central Valley. In the Nov. 3 election, three of the district's seven board seats are on the ballot. Incumbents are...
When COVID Put the Kibosh on Clovis, Fresno, Central Fundraisers, They Pivoted
October is the time of year when Fresno-area school districts or their foundations schedule big fundraiser breakfasts, lunches, and dinners at which superintendents deliver "State of the District" speeches. This year, COVID-19 made it inadvisable to squeeze hundreds of people together in the same venue. S0 educators and their supporters...
Former School CFO Gets Extra Year of Pay, Health Benefits After Quitting Job
Ruthie Quinto, who resigned earlier this month as Fresno Unified's deputy superintendent and chief financial officer, will be on paid administrative leave from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30, 2021 under a resignation agreement GV Wire℠ obtained from the district through a public records request. Quinto will be paid her full...
Fresno Unified Will Seek OK To Reopen K-6 Schools to Students
Fresno Unified School District elementary school students could be among the first to be back in the classroom with their teachers. The district is planning to apply for a waiver that allow those students to return to school for in-person instruction. Older students would still have distance learning until coronavirus...
School Board Members Question Payout for Departing District Leader
The Fresno Unified School Board on Wednesday approved a severance agreement with deputy superintendent Ruthie Quinto by a 4-3 vote. The vote comes one week after Quinto's resignation was announced by superintendent Bob Nelson at the Sept. 9 meeting. Quinto said she was leaving to spend more time with her...
Donated Coats Will Keep 4K Fresno Unified Kids Warm This Winter
Thousands of Fresno Unified School District students will be a little warmer this winter, and they can thank an anonymous donor. The district plans to hand out the coats first to homeless students in coordination with FUSD's Project ACCESS program. The Salvation Army helped store the coats. “Thanks to a...
USDA Investigating Fresno Unified Payments on Fresh Produce Contracts
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is investigating whether Fresno Unified School District overpaid millions of dollars for fresh produce in recent years, GV Wire℠ has learned. Jerry Stanley, chief deputy district attorney for the Fresno County District Attorney's Office, said the office's Public Integrity Unit is no longer investigating allegations...
Ruthie Quinto Out as FUSD Second-in-Command at End of Month
Fresno Unified deputy superintendent/chief financial officer Ruthie Quinto is resigning her position effective at the end of the month, superintendent Bob Nelson announced near the start of Wednesday's board meeting. Nelson thanked Quinto for her 15 years of service to the district and for her good stewardship of Fresno Unified,...
At-Risk Students Back on Clovis Unified Campuses. Fresno, Central Yet To Act.
This week for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic closed schools abruptly in mid-March, Clovis teachers met with their students in their classrooms. In following with state and local public health directives, the class sessions were small — no more than two children, and no more than two teachers...
‘Open Schools’ Rally Brings Crowd of Parents, Kids to Northwest Fresno Corner
Parents who want their kids back in school took to a busy northwest Fresno street corner Thursday afternoon to protest their lack of choice over the ongoing school closures in Fresno County. About 100 moms and dads, grandparents, and kids wielded homemade signs with slogans such as "Teachers are Essential"...