YCOE, School Districts Hosting ‘State of Education’ Forum

Woodland, CA - Members of the public are invited to attend the annual Yolo County Elected Officials and Leaders Forum on March 25 at 9:00 a.m. Hosted by YCOE in collaboration with its five school districts, the virtual forum seeks to connect educators, business leaders, and elected officials in discussion around education and opportunities for children and youth in Yolo County.

“Even during another challenging and unprecedented school year, the state of education in Yolo County is strong,” said County Superintendent Garth Lewis. “As education leaders, we welcome the opportunity to share highlights and success stories from our schools and students.”

The forum will be emceed by Lewis and will feature a welcome from Rep. Mike Thompson. Thompson was elected to Congress in 1998 and currently represents California’s 5th Congressional District. Thompson is seeking re-election to the newly drawn 4th Congressional District, which includes most of Yolo County.

The forum will also feature an update on the county’s expansion of transitional kindergarten. The state’s $2.7 billion universal TK program will gradually be made available to every 4-year-old in California. School districts in Yolo County are currently enrolling children in TK programs for the upcoming school year.

During the forum, school district superintendents will provide brief updates on educational initiatives occurring throughout the county. The superintendents expected to present include:

• Matt Best, Interim Superintendent, Davis Joint Unified School District
• Dr. Christina “Christy” Goennier, Superintendent, Esparto Unified School District
• Dr. Cheryl Hildreth, Superintendent, Washington Unified School District
• Diana Jiménez, Superintendent, Winters Joint Unified School District
• Elodia Ortega-Lampkin, Superintendent, Woodland Joint Unified School District
• Maria Arvizu-Espinoza, Associate Superintendent, Yolo County Office of Education

There is no cost to attend the event. The forum will be streamed on Facebook Live at facebook.com/YoloCOE. To participate via Zoom, attendees are asked to register in advance at yolocoe.k12oms.org/2495-213827.

According to the California Department of Education, nearly 30,000 students are enrolled in K-12 schools in Yolo County.

Additional information on the virtual forum is available on the Yolo County Office of Education website at www.ycoe.org.