2024-2025 Message
Dear VUSD Community,
Welcome to the 2024-25 school year. This past year, our Board of Education has focused on the development of Visalia Unified Forward 2030: A Community-Driven Blueprint for the Future. This plan encompasses our strategic plan and facilities plan.
I am proud of our Board for being courageous, data-driven, and student-centered in their declarations of what our focus needs to be. I encourage you to take the time to look at both of our plans, which you can find below:
As we look ahead to the 2024-25 school year, we remain focused on advancing Visalia Unified Forward 2030. Our commitment as a district team is to stay connected, listen to your insights, and craft strategies that address both challenges and opportunities.
Over the next five years, the strategic plan will guide our efforts to achieve our mission: every student learning every day. Built on a foundation of core beliefs and commitments, the strategic plan serves as our blueprint, outlining clear goals and actions that will help us reach every student across our district.
This spring, we’ll share a detailed timeline of actions, with some steps already underway for this school year. These include a standard technology package for all classrooms, expanding advanced learning opportunities at every elementary school, launching a transportation hotline, and establishing active Parent Teacher Associations at every campus. These priorities reflect the valuable feedback from our students, staff, and community and represent just the beginning of what’s to come. It’s an exciting time as we shape the future of Visalia Unified.
Additionally, as our community grows, we’re addressing the challenges and opportunities that come with it. Rapid expansion in some areas has led to overutilization in certain schools. That’s why our facilities planning process is a critical focus, and your input is essential as we explore options for both immediate and long-term needs. Please visit the facilities plan to see our progress.
Furthermore, each year we set our priority campaign based on feedback from students, staff, and the community. The campaign for this year is centered on VUSD Forward which has four themes, "Get Involved, Spread Kindness, Always Learning, and Take Responsibility.” By living and modeling these values, students will achieve both socially and academically.
Join us in making sure our students are equipped for success! Together, we can support our students so they learn at their highest level and become college and/or career ready. I believe in, I belong in, I am VUSD!
Kirk Shrum
Superintendent
Visalia Unified School District