For the first time in 10 years, the Ventura Unified School District (VUSD) Board of Education has sent a poll asking students, staff and family about what they feel the district is doing well, and what to prioritize in the face of budget cuts for the 2025/26 school year. However, few students have responded and the district is in search of more student voices before the form closes Sep. 30.
Due to budget cuts from last year, many positions were cut or put under risk. The most prominently known, counselors and teacher librarians, were advocated for through student walk-outs and hours of public comment at board meetings. With a high probability of more budget cuts, the Board of Education is preparing to prioritize certain programs and positions. What is needed, however, is public input.
A poll sent out to all staff and students asks which areas should be highlighted, but few answers from students leave the district with limited answers. In pursuit of student opinions, board trustee Sabrena Rodriguez stresses the importance of having students’ voices considered in these important budgetary decisions.
“So far we have had fewer than 30 students complete the survey. With over 5,000 middle and high school students we would hope to get far more responses,” Rodriguez said in an email interview. “Everything we do as a school district is in service to our students, and for that reason no voice is more important than theirs.”
To make your voice heard in these matters, fill out the form linked below. The form is also accessible through the district’s social media and newsletter, but will close Sep. 30 at midnight. The results will be presented at the Oct. 14 board meeting, which is open to all to attend at the district office or watch on Youtube.
“Budget cuts will always impact students, but we will do our best to minimize the negative impacts as much as we can,” Rodriguez said in an email interview.
