March Newsletter

The San Benito County Office of Education is proud to share our March newsletter with you. Each month, we update you on programs, events and news in the county office and the districts we serve in San Benito County. In addition, we invite you to stay connected through our various social media platforms. 

We look forward to continuing to work with you and our students across San Benito County as we Engage, Encourage, Empower...Educate!

February 2023 Newsletter

The San Benito County Office of Education is proud to share our February newsletter with you. Each month, we update you on programs, events and news in the county office and the districts we serve in San Benito County. We look forward to continuing to work with you and our students across San Benito County as we Engage, Encourage, Empower...Educate!

San Benito County Office of Education Announces Fall Reading Challenge Results

San Benito County Office of Education County is excited to announce the results of our “Fall into Reading” countywide reading challenge! During the challenge, which ran October 1 through November 30, students in the county read 8,120,876 words, doubling the 4-million-word challenge issued by County Superintendent, Krystal Lomanto.

Eighty-eight students met the 25,000-word challenge and two students read over 100,000 words! Darius Du, a second grader at Rancho Santana was the top reader, reading 170,010 words while Ethan Hatch from Tres Pinos Elementary read 109,468 words. Overall, students in Ms. Ponzini's class at Tres Pinos Elementary read 557,955 words while Spring Grove Elementary School students read an incredible 1,849,386 words. Prizes will be awarded this month.  Click here for a complete list of winners.

Congratulations to everyone who participated and best of luck to students in the upcoming Winter Reading Challenge which runs through January 31, 2023. A complete list of award winners is posted on the SBCOE website at www.sbcoe.org.

Footsteps2Brilliance offers books, games and activities in English and Spanish for children from birth to 3^rd grade. Features include pre-reading, learn-to-read and general reading programs as well as science activities. The program can be downloaded on any electronic device and, once downloaded, no internet connection is needed. For information about how you can register your child for FREE, please visit www.myf2b.com/register/SanBenitoCOE.

January Newsletter

The San Benito County Office of Education is proud to share our January newsletter with you. Each month, we update you on programs, events and news in the county office and the districts we serve in San Benito County. In addition, we invite you to stay connected through our various social media platforms. We look forward to continuing to work with you and our students across San Benito County as we Engage, Encourage, Empower...Educate!

San Benito County of Education Efforts

in Removing Barriers to Education for At Promise Youth in San Benito County

In recognition and support of National Homelessness Awareness month, the San Benito County of Education (SBCOE) gave away 200 Safeway gift cards and duffel bags to students who are identified under the McKinney Vento Homeless Assistance Act.  The items were distributed to students attending Aromas San Juan School Unified District, Hollister School Elementary School District, San Benito High School District and Southside Elementary School District.   Students who are part of the Migrant Education Program at San Andreas Continuation School were also provided with gift cards.  The Safeway gift cards were donated by the Community Food Bank who has been making a difference in the lives of our at-promise youth through SBCOE outreach events.

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act ensures that children who are considered homeless or in-transition have the same educational rights and protection as all other school children. The term homeless children and youth means "individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence."   In San Benito County, there are an estimated 350 homeless children and youth who are identified by school districts.  The San Benito County Office of Education (SBCOE) provides support and resources to the 11 school districts in the county and the SBCOE Alternative Education Programs to implement McKinney-Vento. Technical assistance and training are available to the district homeless liaisons and other staff who are involved in working with homeless children and youth.

“For young people experiencing homelessness, access to basic needs and food during this time of the year has been challenging”, said Gwen Baquiran, SBCOE Director of Student Services and Foster/Homeless County Lead.  “Our goal is to continue this outreach to support all our at-promise youth including migrant students, foster youth and students experiencing homelessness with the help of community partners and donors “.

San Benito students in foster care received school backpacks during SBCOE’s Back To School Resource Fair in August and My Stuff^® Duffel bags this holiday.  The My Stuff^® Bags Foundation has donated 180 duffel bags to San Benito students who are in foster care, experiencing homelessness or are migrant.  My Stuff^® Bags are individual, mid-sized duffels filled with age and gender appropriate, brand-new necessities such as clothing, school supplies and toiletries and comforts including toys, books, a stuffed animal, and a blanket, often handmade. The bags offer necessities and comfort items to students in crisis or in transition.

County Superintendent of Schools Krystal Lomanto is very grateful to the Community Food Bank and My Stuff^® Bag Organization for their generosity and partnership.  “Partnerships like these bring the entire community together to support the education and wellbeing of the students and families in San Benito County, fulfilling some of the unmet needs of these students’ families. It takes the entire community to raise our students”, commented Superintendent Lomanto.

Additionally, SBCOE rolled out Project Access this school year.  This project is intended to give students in foster care or those experiencing homelessness access to additional services and supports to help remove educational barriers.  Services include access to academic support such as after school tutorial and summer enrichment activities, access to temporary hotel accommodations, access to health/safe care and training for school staff and parents to heighten the understanding of students’ challenges and identify and remove barriers to education.

To learn more about Project Access, please contact SBCOE Education Services Department or visit www.sbcoe.org.

December Newsletter

The San Benito County Office of Education is proud to share our December newsletter with you. Each month, we update you on programs, events and news in the county office and the districts we serve in San Benito County. In addition, we invite you to stay connected through our various social media platforms. We look forward to continuing to work with you and our students across San Benito County as we Engage, Encourage, Empower...Educate!

November Newsletter

The San Benito County Office of Education is proud to share our November newsletter with you. Each month, we update you on programs, events and news in the county office and the districts we serve in San Benito County. In addition, we invite you to stay connected through our various social media platforms.

We look forward to continuing to work with you and our students across San Benito County as we Engage, Encourage, Empower...Educate!

SBCOE Celebrates Literacy

American Electrical Services, Inc

Anthony Botelho

Aromas-San Juan School District

Bitterwater-Tully School District

California Mutual Insurance

City of Hollister

Clarice Felice

Community Foundation for San Benito County

CMAP TV

Dr. Armstrong

Early Childhood Special Education Program

Focus Administrative Services

Hollister Lions Club

Hollister Police Department

Hollister Rotary Club

Hollister School District

K & S Properties

LULAC

North County Joint Union School District

PG&E

Pauline Dabo Mifsud

San Benito Bene

San Benito County Board of Supervisors

San Benito County Free Library

San Benito County Probation

San Benito County Sheriff

Southside School District

Target Corporation

Tiffany Ford

Tres Pinos School District

United Way of San Benito County

Willow Grove School District

Women’s Club of Hollister

YMCA of San Benito County

San Benito County Office of Education and San Benito County Behavioral Health Receive MHSSA Grant

As part of ongoing efforts to support mental health services for students in San Benito County, the San Benito County Office of Education (SBCOE) and the San Benito County Behavioral Health Department (SBCBHD) recently received the Mental Health Student Services Act (MHSSA) Grant.  The $2.5 million grant will enable SBCOE and SBCBH to strengthen existing partnerships with schools in the county, resulting in expanded access to mental health services for children and youth on school campuses.

For the past several years, the two agencies have worked together to bring needed mental health services to schools.  Through San Benito County Behavioral Health Department’s PATHS Program, every school in the county has access to Case Managers assigned to school sites to connect students and families to on-site services or off-campus providers as needed.  Additional mental health supports including substance abuse counseling and mental health therapy are also available in schools by SBCBH.  Grants and other specialized funding brought in by SBCOE have provided additional school social workers and mental health therapists who are also assigned to participating schools. All of these programs are being used to address the growing need for mental health services among our students.

With the addition of mental health staff in schools, the need for coordination and streamlined referral processes has also become evident.  Part of the funding from the MHSSA Grant will be used to build collaboratives that bring together decision makers from SBCOE, SBCBH and San Benito County Districts as well as county mental health service providers who serve students on and off school campuses.  The goal for both organizations is to ensure that every student who needs mental health services in San Benito County receives appropriate support based on their individual needs.