San Benito County Office of Education Alternative Education Programs are continuing to provide distance learning to students enrolled in our programs during the COVID-19 outbreak.  Pinnacles Juvenile Hall/Court School is currently in session, so instruction has not been interrupted. Santa Ana Opportunity School, San Andreas Continuation High School and Pinnacles Community School buildings are closed, but teachers are providing lessons online through Google Classroom, video-conferencing and video lessons. Students who need them have been provided with Chromebooks so they are able to access the online learning.  In addition, teachers are preparing paper packets for students who have requested.them.  Other services including school meals (available Mondays and Thursdays), Migrant Education, Special Education, counseling and mental health services are also available.  Please contact the Alternative Education Principal, Lisa Jelinek, at ljelinek@sbcoe.org or call the school office at 831-637-9269 for information and questions.

See the entire Distance Learning Plan here.

San Benito County Office of Education is encouraging everyone to continue social distancing by:

• Maintaining at least a 6 foot distance from each other
• Going to the store only when necessary AND only sending one person to the store if possible
• Washing your hands

Together we can stop the spread!

La Oficina de Educación del Condado de San Benito está animando a todos a continuar el distanciamiento social por:

• Mantener al menos una distancia de 6 pies entre
• Sí Ir a la tienda sólo cuando sea necesario Y sólo enviar una persona a la tienda si es posible
• Lavarse las manos

¡Juntos podemos detener la propagación!

The San Benito County Office of Education is proud to present our 2018-19 Annual Report to the Community. This report provides an overview of the programs and services offered by the San Benito County Office of Education as well as a summary of key accomplishments in 2018-19.  

Please join us in celebrating the many ways our schools, districts, community agencies and county office work together to support student learning.  We are committed to Engaging, Encouraging, and Empowering families and educators across San Benito County with the resources they need to Educate ALL students.  

Thank you for your continued support and interest in the education of our children.  Your ideas, suggestions, and feedback are welcome and appreciated. Please contact the San Benito County Office of Education at 831-637-5393 with any input you have that would help us to further the success of children in our county.

San Benito, CA – August 14, 2019

County Superintendent of Schools, Krystal Lomanto, is pleased to announce San Benito County as the the first county-wide Footsteps2Brilliance Model Innovation County in the nation. With the recent addition of Hollister School District, under the leadership of Mr. Diego Ochoa and the Hollister Board of Trustees, every student and family with children ages birth to 3rd grade will now have FREE access to the Footsteps2Brilliance suite of early learning mobile apps. The suite includes three breakthrough early literacy mobile apps in English and Spanish, Footsteps2Brilliance™ School Edition, Clever Kids University® Pre-Reader, and Clever Kids University® I Can Read. The goal is to give every child a strong start by providing these apps for FREE to county residents.

“The San Benito County Office of Education and 10 districts have come together to fight illiteracy and provide families the resources they need to help their children succeed. We know that children who read on grade-level are more likely to graduate from high school and go on to higher levels of learning. We are realizing our vision of every child prepared for school and reading on grade level by grade 3. I commend the superintendents and districts of San Benito County for their vision and foresight in joining forces to eliminate illiteracy county-wide,” states Superintendent Lomanto.

Participating San Benito County districts include Aromas-San Juan Unified School District (Superintendent Michele Huntoon), Bitterwater-Tully Union School District (Principal/Teacher Candace Brewen), Cienega Union School District (Principal/Teacher Nancy MaClean), Hollister School District (Superintendent Diego Ochoa), Jefferson School District (Principal/Teacher Elizabeth Volmer), North County Joint Union School District (Superintendent Jenny Bernosky), Panoche School District (Principal/Teacher Amanda McCraw), Southside School District (Superintendent John Schilling), Tres Pinos Union School District (Superintendent Bronson Mendes-LoBue), and Willow Grove Union School District (Principal Linda Smith).
“We are thrilled to add Hollister School District to the Building Bridges 2 Literacy initiative. It is a testament to the commitment of every district in the county to ensure the success of every child. We encourage every family with children ages birth to 3rd grade that are not already registered to register for their free account at www.myf2b.com/register/sanbenitoCOE, and to begin using it with their children 15 minutes each day,” said Superintendent Lomanto.

To date, the students and families of San Benito County have achieved more than 114,400,000 Million Words Read on Footsteps2Brilliance®, the cornerstone of Superintendent Lomanto’s Building Bridges 2 Literacy Early Literacy Initiative. Superintendent Lomanto and the County School Board launched Building Bridges 2 Literacy in November 2016 to boost access to literacy for the students and families of San Benito County. Footsteps2Brilliance makes it easy for families to spend time reading with their children because it is free, accessible on any smart mobile device, and does not require internet once downloaded.

“We applaud Superintendent Lomanto and San Benito County school leaders for their unwavering commitment to bringing the gift of literacy to every child in the county. We applaud the teachers, students, and families of San Benito for their achievements to date on Footsteps2Brilliance and commend San Benito educators for collectively coming together for greater impact. We are honored to be a partner in this important work,” stated Ilene Rosenthal, Co-Founder & CEO of Footsteps2Brilliance.

Click for PDF

Press Release:

2019 Certificated and Classified Employee of the Year

33 Individuals Recognized

Hollister, CA April 25, 2019:  The San Benito County Office of Education hosted the annual countywide Certificated and Classified Employee of the Year celebration on April 25, 2019, at the Hollister Veterans Memorial Building.

The 2019 Employee of the Year celebration recognized individuals from school districts in the county on Thursday night at the Hollister Veterans Memorial Building from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Colleagues, Administrators, friends and family were in attendance to join the celebration.  Certificates were presented to each individual from the following organizations: State Senator, Anna Caballero – District 12; Assemblyman, Robert Rivas – District 30; San Benito County Board of Supervisors; and City of Hollister.  The San Benito County Office of Education provided engraved plaques to each recipient.  Guests enjoyed treats from a dessert table which included chocolates donated by local confectionary MARICH.

The Certificated Employees of the Year were as follows:

Brien Sparling, Anzar High School

Holly DeAmaral, Aromas

Alan Samuels, San Juan

Michelle Talavera, Accelerated Achievement Academy

Danielle Canez, Calaveras

Louise Callanta, Cerra Vista

Carol Gomez, Hollister Dual Language Academy

Kellie Sabaska, Gabilan Hills

Timi King, Ladd Lane 

Primavera Cabibi, Marguerite Maze

Carrie Betancourt, Spring Grove

Mahalia Magago, Rancho San Justo

Katherine Trewman, R.O. Hardin

Ingrid Paz, Sunnyslope

Casandra Guerrero, San Benito High School

Mari Romero, San Benito County Office of Education

The Classified Employees of the Year were as follows:

Isaac Rueda, Aromas-San Juan Unified School District

Lorinda Limo, Mi Escuelita

Jaimie Conrath, Aromas

Mike O’Connor, Anzar High School

Gabriel Gaytan, San Juan

Manny Guzman, Accelerated Achievement Academy/Calaveras

Karen Firstbrook, Cerra Vista

Teresita Rios, Hollister Dual Language Academy

Linda Brown, Hollister Dual Language Academy/Gabilan Hills

Cathy Toste, Ladd Lane School

Ana Jimenez, Marguerite Maze

Hilda Perez, Spring Grove

Tony Armenta, Rancho San Justo

Silvia Sandoval, R.O. Hardin

Stephanie Aguilar, Sunnyslope

Ed Wong, San Benito High School

Madeline Ruvalcaba, San Benito County Office of Education

The San Benito County Office of education has been granted a leadership award from Footsteps2brilliance as the first County Office of Education to lead its districts to 100 million words read. 

2019 San Benito STEAM and Science Fair
2019 STEAM and Science Fair engages students and community members

Hollister, CA March 21, 2019: The 2019 San Benito County Office of Education Science Fair
was enhanced with a STEAM theme this year to provide students and community members an
opportunity to experience Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math like never before.

Eleven community vendors set up displays and interactive booths that provided attendees a
opportunity to experience the various elements of STEAM. The San Benito High School
Robotics team brought their competition robot and performed on stage while multiple schools
and groups offered make-it-and-take-it activities for students. Additionally, fourth through
eighth-grade student Science Fair projects were on display. The evening concluded with an
exciting awards ceremony hosting an audience of over 100.

The San Benito County Office of Education has identified six science fair projects and two
alternates eligible to go on to the California State Science Fair in Sacramento April 29-30, 2019.
State Science Fair Projects were decided from the 176 projects submitted by San Benito 4th
through 8th-grade students. Additionally, four “Best of Show” prizes awarded family passes to
the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Winners are:
4th-5th grade Behavior/ Physiology
1st place: Anthony Silva, 5th grade at Sacred Heart
2nd place: Scarlett Betz, 5th grade at Cerra Vista
3rd place: Marco Russo, 5th grade at Accelerated Achievement Academy
Honorable Mention: Dulce Ramirez, 5th grade at Accelerated Achievement Academy
Honorable Mention: Holly Hearne, 5th grade at Bitterwater-Tully
4th-5th grade Botany
1st place: Diego San Miguel, 5th grade at Cerra Vista
2nd place: Ryan Flores, 5th grade at Sacred Heart
4th-5th grade Earth Science
1st place: Chanel Venter, 4th grade at Sacred Heart
2nd place: Darren Corena, 5th grade at Sunnyslope
3rd place: Gizelle Barajas, 4th grade at Sunnyslope
4th-5th grade Environmental Science
1st place: Brady Reynolds, 4th grade at Cerra Vista
2nd place: Brandon Rios, 5th grade at Accelerated Achievement Academy
3rd place: Jessica Rocha, 4th grade at Accelerated Achievement Academy
Honorable Mention: Maille Kelly-Garringer, 5th grade at Cerra Vista
Honorable Mention: Savanna Recht, 5th grade at Cerra Vista
Honorable Mention: George Conly, 5th grade at Accelerated Achievement Academy
Honorable Mention: Joshua Cruz Natera, 4th grade at Accelerated Achievement Academy
4th-5th grade Microbiology
1st place: Adrian G, 5th grade at Accelerated Achievement Academy
2nd place: Jazlyn Banuelos Leonor, 5th grade at Sunnyslope
3rd place: Janessa Cruz, 4th grade at Sunnyslope
4th grade Physical Science
1st place: Mira Dutton, 4th grade at Accelerated Achievement Academy
2nd place: Sarah Reiland, 4th grade at Accelerated Achievement Academy
3rd place: Zane Andrade, 4th grade at Accelerated Achievement Academy
5th grade Physical Science
1st place:Hunter Kuck, 5th grade at Sunnyslope
2nd place: Eduardo Madigral, 5th grade at Accelerated Achievement Academy
3rd place: Jacob Barraza, 5th grade at Sacred Heart
4th-5th grade Zoology
1st place: Carlee Mayo, 4th grade at Sunnyslope
6th-7th-8th grade Behavior/ Physiology
1st place: Tomas Gomez, 8th grade at Sacred Heart
2nd place: Brandon Gatson, 8th grade at Accelerated Achievement Academy
3rd place: Gabriella Selsor, 6th grade at Accelerated Achievement Academy
Honorable Mention: Maria Russo, 8th grade at Accelerated Achievement Academy
6th-7th-8th grade Botany
1st place: Rasmeet Brar, 7th grade at Accelerated Achievement Academy
2nd place: Jasmin Rocha, 6th grade at Accelerated Achievement Academy
3rd place: Jacy McMillan, 8th grade at Aromas
6th-7th-8th grade Earth Science
1st place: Rachel Garcia, 7th grade at Bitterwater-Tully
2nd place: Tryan Hurley, 6th grade at Bitterwater-Tully
6th-7th-8th grade Environmental Science
1st place: Marea Ito, 8th grade at Sacred Heart
2nd place: Megan Maggiora, 7th grade at Accelerated Achievement Academy
3rd place: Emma Franks, 6th grade at Accelerated Achievement Academy
6th-7th-8th grade Microbiology
1st place: Leslie Cruz, 8th grade at Aromas
2nd place: Cameron Sloma, 8th grade at Aromas
3rd place: Vivian Rios, 8th grade at Aromas
6th Physical Science
1st place: Zander Brister, 6th grade at Spring Grove
2nd place: Shane Wilbur, 6th grade at Accelerated Achievement Academy
3rd place: Emiliano Ramirez, 6th grade at San Juan
7th Physical Science
1st place: Blake Abercrombie, 7th grade at Spring Grove
2nd place: Samantha Kilmer, 7th grade at Spring Grove
3rd place: Dylan McNett, 7th grade at Accelerated Achievement Academy
8th Physical Science
1st place: Joanna Abellera, 8th grade at Accelerated Achievement Academy
2nd place: Ernesto Zamora, 8th grade at Accelerated Achievement Academy
3rd place: Uriel Chavez, 8th grade at Bitterwater-Tully
6th-7th-8th grade Zoology
1st place: Leeza Gatson, 6th grade at Accelerated Achievement Academy
2nd place: Hailey Garcia, 7th grade at Aromas
Applying for the California State Science Fair
Marea Ito, 8th grade at Sacred Heart
Zander Brister, 6th grade at Spring Grove
Megan Maggiora, 7th grade at Accelerated Achievement Academy
Shane Wilbur, 6th grade at Accelerated Achievement Academy
Samantha Kilmer, 7th grade at Spring Grove
Blake Abercrombie, 7th grade at Spring Grove
Alternate: Dylan McNett, 7th grade at Accelerated Achievement Academy
Alternate: Anthony Silva, 5th grade at Sacred Heart
Best of Show Award Winners
Marea Ito, 8th grade at Sacred Heart
Zander Brister, 6th grade at Spring Grove
Anthony Silva, 5th grade at Sacred Heart
Mira Dutton, 4th grade at Accelerated Achievement Academy
Trophies and awards were provided by donations from Granite Rock, Hazel Hawkins,
California Mutual, M & M Farms, Brent Redmond Transportation, Round Table Pizza, and
Target.

A special thank you to Science Fair Judges : Maylani Mahler, Vera Gomes, and Devii Rao.
Extra special thank you to the STEAM booth vendors: Cerra Vista, Ladd Lane, California
State Parks, San Benito High School RoboticsTeam, San Benito High School STEAM Club, San
Benito High School Arts Department, San Benito High School Engineering Department, San
Benito Arts Council, Aromas School, and San Andreas Continuation High School Math and Art
classes.

2019 San Benito County Arts Showcase
More than 1,000 pieces of art on display

Hollister, CA February 13, 2019: The San Benito County Office of Education, in collaboration with the San Benito Arts Council, hosted an unprecedented Countywide Arts Showcase on February 13, 2019, at the Hollister Veterans Memorial Building.

The 2019 San Benito County Arts Showcase featured art pieces from nearly every one of the eleven school districts in the county. Committee members estimate that more than 1,000 art pieces were on display Wednesday night at the Hollister Veterans Memorial Building from 5:00pm to 7:00 pm. Submissions ranged from the Early Childhood Special Education center through
high school and featured pieces of various media. Continuing a popular new feature this year was the inclusion of live student performances on stage. Together, both elements created a
packed house of observers.

Individual art submissions were eligible for a chance at winning an art supply basket. Teachers who submitted class sets were entered to win one of two art lessons with a local artist in their
classroom, sponsored by the San Benito County Office of Education. Additionally, all youth attendees were eligible for a chance to win an art supply basket. The atmosphere was undeniably festive, creative and celebratory of San Benito’s small community.

Art Supply Basket Raffle winners include:
Leah Romero, a Kindergartener from Hollister Dual Language Academy
Olivia Schaal, a sixth grader from Cienega School
Ramon Covarrubias, an eighth grader from Cienega School
Visiting Artist Raffle winners include:
Mrs. Rodriguez at Southside School
Team teachers Mrs. Ervin and Mrs. Taylor from Aromas School

San Benito County Superintendent Krystal Lomanto has been out recognizing classrooms that collectively surpassed one million words read as part of the Footsteps2Brilliance program overseen locally by the San Benito County Office of Education. Lomanto on Friday visited San Juan School, which had four classrooms where students surpassed the mark.

Watch the video story below:

San Juan School had four classes in million-word club from San Benito Live on Vimeo.

2019 San Benito County Spelling Bee Winners

Top Two Winners Go On To State!

Hollister, CA February 8, 2019: The San Benito County Office of Education has declared the top four spellers in the Elementary and Junior High divisions. The first and second place winners will go on to represent San Benito County at the state competitions in May.

Elementary winners are
1st place: Evie Gonzalez, a 6th grader from Hollister Prep School;
2nd place: Miranda Navarro, a 4th grader from Spring Grove School;
3rd place: Brooklynn Goldstone, a 6th grader from Accelerated Achievement Academy and
4th place: Valeria Esqueda, a 6th grader from Spring Grove School.

Junior High winners are
1st place: Rasmeet Brar, a 7th grader from Accelerated Achievement Academy;
2nd place: Donnobhain Haertel, an 8th grader from Spring Grove School;
3rd place: Deepinder Mann, a 7th grader from Rancho San Justo and
4th place: Stephanie Miramontes, a 7th grader from Jefferson.

Preliminary rounds were held on January 23 and 24 at Ladd Lane School with the unprecedented implementation of Google Forms to collect and grade student responses. The top 20 spellers from each of those rounds were invited to the championship contest on February 6 and 7 where judges evaluated the contestants’ responses and ultimately declared the top four spellers. First place winners received an iPad air donated by the Rotary Club of Hollister. Both first and second place winners will receive up to $250 of their travel expenses to the state-level competition reimbursed by the County Office of Education.

Judges for this year’s Spelling Bee included Sheriff Darren Thompson, Supervisor Jim Gillio, Supervisor Mark Medina, County Superintendent Krystal Lomanto, and SBCOE Director of Special Education Bill Sachau.

Elementary finalists were: Evie Gonzalez, Baron Recht, Brooklynn Goldstone, Emilia Rovella, Annie Cullumber, Quinton Zanger, Tyler Crosby, Valeria Esqueda, Alexander Brister, Maximus Madrigal, Aryanna McClelland, Daniela Orsetti, Morgan Ruiz, Isabella Nicholson, Madeline Rosa, Kathy Miramontes, Levi Tran, Miranda Navarro, Sophia Madrigal, Adeline Mellow, Anthony Medrano

Junior High finalists were: Rasmeet Brar, Ava Thatcher, Max Westphal, Cassie Rayas, Deepinder Mann, Donnobhain Haertel, Emmia Rivera, Aarush Jagtap, Madison Statua, Luis Silva, Isabela Fernandez, Julian Martinez, Ignacio Velazquez, Stephanie Miramontes, Fabiola Gonzalez, Hailey Garcia, Rosa Miramontes, Brandon Gatson, Dafny Senties, Rasmeet Brar, Ava Thatcher