Ventura Unified School District Board Meeting February 25, 2025

At 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 25, 2025, droves of Ventura Unified School District (VUSD) students, parents, faculty and teachers hurried through the doors of the Board of Education room at the District Office to attend a much anticipated Board Meeting. The agenda for this assembly contained items of controversy, with the first topic of deliberation being Resolution #25-03: a plan to reduce or discontinue particular certificated services in order to address major budget cuts.

Many families, faculty and students impacted by the resolution attended the meeting to give public comments, hoping to influence the Board’s decision, with the Ventura Unified Education Association (VUEA) coming together as one of the most populated groups in attendance.

“We’re really trying to listen to the community,” - President Calvin Peterson

“The magnitude of the circumstances is honestly unimaginable, and I can't even begin to think about the severity of the effects that this decision tonight will have.” - Solana Warren ‘25

A public commenter said “We were told these cuts would be made far away from our students and the reality could not be further from the truth. Cuts to librarians, teachers [and] school counselors . . .these directly impact our students. … It is absolutely jaw dropping that we are on the verge of taking away two of the safest spaces in any school … I cannot imagine a place without these people.”

Although VUSD’s Board of Education took action on a controversial resolution, the 2025-2026 budget is in no way resolved. Future board meetings will undoubtedly revisit difficult budgetary decisions and that will make a long lasting impact on the students, staff and families of VUSD.

Credits:

Created with an image by Sensay - "Education and reading concept - group of colorful books on the wooden table in the classroom, blackboard background"