District News

On Wed., Nov. 2, Campbell Union School District sent an update to families on efforts to improve pedestrian safety for students.

"As we continue to mourn the tragic loss of our 8-year-old Castlemont Elementary School student, Jacob Villanueva, it is important to share the actions our school district is taking to prevent another tragedy from occurring," said Superintendent Shelly Viramontez.

The letter included news of recent actions by the City of San Jose to bolster the Safe Routes to School program and the district's commitment to advocate for more safety measures across the district and county.

To read the full update, click here.

“Our schools have two primary objectives—student learning and student safety—and we take both very seriously,” said Student Services Director Rosanna Palomo, who oversees the Comprehensive Safety Plan process for the district.

This week's earthquake may have raised questions for parents about how our schools prepare for various emergency situations. We recognize that parents entrust us with their students’ safety, and want to share how we prepare for emergency situations and some of our precautionary measures.

• Each year, we update our safety plans and train our employees in the same Incident Command System (ICS) that first responders use in emergency situations to facilitate communication and decision-making.
• Staff first makes sure the students and campus are secure. If there are specific concerns or changes in student dismissal procedures,  the school or district will send information to update families and provide any instructions. (Please make sure the school has your current emergency contact information.)
• Families may also receive updates via local news outlets. Please see our Emergency Information web page for details about how we will send emergency information.
• Our facilities have physical deterrents for would-be trouble-makers, including interior locks on classroom doors, fences with locking gates, surveillance video, and other security measures.
• We maintain a QuickTip email and phone system for individuals to confidentially report bullying or suspicious activity.  quicktip [at] campbellusd.org () or 408-341-7171.
• Regular fire and earthquake drills, and occasional shelters-in-place, allow students to practice basic skills for following safety instructions and evacuation as necessary. 
• Our multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) includes behavioral interventions and counseling to help struggling students before their situation turns critical.
• Our district Crisis Response Team works with school-based teams to identify and intervene when students experience emotional/mental health crises.

“We care about all of our students,” Palomo said. “We have multiple layers of supports to keep them safe every day.”

Our district and several community groups are co-sponsoring a neighborhood action about safety on November 5th. Several local churches, families, neighbors and employees plan a peaceful march down Winchester Blvd. to continue to call attention to the need for greater safety measures in the community. 

The neighborhood action is in response to the tragic car accident that took the life of a Castlemont student and other neighborhood safety concerns. It will begin at 10 a.m., Sat. Nov. 5.  Please click here for the flyer and details.

In related news…

We learned this week that CUSD’s advocacy on traffic safety in our school zones has led to formal action by the City of San Jose. 

Our letter was the genesis for recommendations from Vice Mayor Chappie Jones and other Councilmembers to the City’s Rules Committee. The recommendations passed unanimously and are now a full city council directive. We are aware that this action is San Jose centric, and we will be working with Vision Zero, Safe Routes to Schools and other community partners to bring this county wide.

Noting that partnership with cities is essential to improving traffic safety for all students, Superintendent Shelly Viramontez spoke at the San Jose City Council meeting this week, asking that they continue to prioritize Safe Routes to School. 

“Our Castlemont Elementary School community suffered a loss, as little Jacob Villanueva tragically had his beautiful 8-year old life cut short as he did what thousands of children do every single day in our city—walking across a crosswalk,” said Dr. Viramontez. “I applaud you for recognizing the importance of pedestrian safety, and your willingness to raise awareness for such an important issue that literally impacts every single resident of our city.”

Vice Mayor Chappie Jones initiated a memorandum to the Rules and Open Government Committee for expanding safety programs to prioritize Safe Routes to School. Viramontez added that his partnership has been a vital part of our district’s ability to marshall community resources that benefit the students, staff and families in our district.

To see the official request to the Rules Committee, click here.   

To express your thoughts to the San Jose City Council, click here.

Pictured in the San Jose Council Chambers following the presentation of a proclamation are Vice Mayor Chappie Jones, Councilmember David Cohen, CUSD Board President Richard Nguyen, District Superintendent Shelly Viramontez, County Superintendent MaryAnn Dewan, CUSD Board Vice President Danielle Cohen (no relation), Castlemont Principal Kristen Prindle, Councilmember Pam Foley, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo.