Santa Clara Unified: Addressing the Culture of Bullying

All eyes are on the Santa Clara Unified School District and Board of Trustees after a student committed suicide last week. The community is grieving, but they are also angry. They’re angry that not enough was done to protect this young life.

 

Culture of Bullying

Bullying is unacceptable, is what Superintendent Dr. Gary Waddell said when he spoke at the Board of Trustees meeting on Thursday, Nov. 14. The District is mourning the loss of Jose Zamora who was just 14 years old when he took his own life. According to his father, Zamora was bullied at Santa Clara High School. The community is outraged that the district isn’t properly addressing the culture of bullying. Parents, and even a Santa Clara High School alumnus, came to the Board meeting to share stories of bullying endured but not stopped.

Dr. Waddell said the District is committed to doing whatever it takes to change the variables within their control. In a Facebook video, Dr. Waddell said ongoing investigations have already resulted in “serious disciplinary action” and the district is cooperating with the police.

“I want you to know that none of us are here for any reason other than for you,” said Dr. Waddell. “When you are struggling or in crisis or need someone to listen, know that we are here. We talk about kindness and a lot in this district and that’s not only to create a more pleasant district but also that we know the importance when someone is in crisis that a kind hand, a kind word, a kind gesture can make. We are here only for you.

“And we are all learning from this,” continued Dr. Waddell. “We will continue to get better. I want you to know that we are standing here for you, beside you.”

Cabrillo Middle School teacher Joan Maurer had Zamora as a student and gave a heartfelt, tearful account of his resiliency at Cabrillo. Maurer acknowledged the bullying issue and also asked the district to examine the high school transitioning system to support students during this especially stressful time.

“How can we ensure an equitable transition to show [students] are supported in the way they need and deserve to be?” asked Maurer at the end of her comment.

Board President Vickie Fairchild said the Board is limited in what they can say because of confidentiality.

Anyone needing assistance should call the three-digit National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 9-8-8, call 800-273-TALK (8255), or text “START” to 741741.

 

Annual Enrollment Report

The Enrollment Center gave their annual report for the 2024 – 2025 school year. Overall, enrollment looks to be declining but some increases are shining through, mostly due to the addition of TK, according to Johanna Gonzalez, Enrollment Center Manager. The Dual Language Immersion program at Scott Lane Elementary School is also getting a lot of interest from families.

Agnews Elementary School, Huerta Middle School, and MacDonald High School are continuing to add grade levels every year, which is boosting enrollment. However, the boundary changes have affected enrollment at nearby schools.

Open enrollment applications increased this year, particularly for choice schools, said Dr. Brenda Carrillo, Director of Student Services. This school year, the open enrollment window was open a little longer than usual and families took advantage of that. According to the presentation, “continued attention to the impact of Open Enrollment is important to ensure viability of all schools.”

This year’s new residency verification process was very labor intensive but only identified a small number of families residing outside the district. Staff did just about everything to hit 100% completion. They hosted events, hired bilingual staff to call families, and even did home visits but only found eight families residing outside district boundaries. They’re already considering better ways to do this process, like moving it from the busiest time of the year.

 

Superintendent Retirement

As the meeting came to a close, Dr. Waddell shared that he would be retiring at the end of the school year.

“It is with some difficulty and mixed emotions that I’m announcing this evening that I’ll be retiring at the end of the current school year,” he said.

The Board knew about this decision for some time. They only had praise and love for Dr. Waddell for all the positive changes he’s made in his short time with the District. He came to Santa Clara Unified in July 2022 as the Interim Superintendent after the district parted ways with Dr. Stella Kemp, but they made the change permanent in January 2023.

“You are leaving our district better than you found it. That’s a fact,” said a tearful Board Vice President Bonnie Lieberman.

“It has been my greatest privilege and honor to lead SCUSD through this moment in the district’s journey and set the stage for what I hope will be a continued positive trajectory ahead,” said Dr. Waddell.

 

School Board to City Council

After 16 years of service to Santa Clara Unified, Albert Gonzalez, Board Member for Trustee Area 2, will be leaving this dais for a new one. Gonzalez will be the new Santa Clara City Council Member for District 1. Fellow Trustees expressed how proud they are of Gonzalez and how much they will miss him.

“I’m indebted to the district,” said Gonzalez. “The district has really helped me in my journey as far as being a better governance practitioner. Hopefully, I can help the city a little bit.”

Interestingly enough, Gonzalez is essentially swapping with current District 1 City Council Member Kathy Watanabe who won the vote for Gonzalez’s Trustee seat.

 

Other Business

The District is required to have an Independent Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee and this committee is looking for new members. Applications will be available soon.

The Board amended its minutes from the Oct. 15 Board meeting. Regarding the Dominic Caserta settlement, Fairchild clarified that the vote was four to one: Fairchild, Gonzalez, Lieberman, and Jodi Muirhead voted ‘yes’; Dr. Michele Ryan voted ‘no’; and Jim Canova and Andy Ratermann were absent.

 

They adjourned in memory of Jose Zamora. The Santa Clara Unified Board meets next on Thursday, Dec. 19 for their last meeting of 2024. Meetings are live-streamed on the District’s YouTube page, and agendas are posted on their website.