‘We’re all really excited’: What Visalia families can expect for the new school year

VISALIA, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Families in the South Valley can expect new changes for the 2025-2026 school year.

Visalia Unified District leadership, the School Board of Trustees, and the Visalia Police Department gave an update Monday at La Joya Middle School. 

According to Executive Director of Student Support Natalie Garza, the district will begin enforcing an updated cell phone policy this year.

“Students will be expected to keep phones off and away during instructional time. Progressive steps will be taken if students do not follow this expectation, beginning with reminders and parent contact,” she said. “We know phones are a part of life, but in the classroom, learning is the focus.”

Additional changes include a new classroom technology package for all classrooms and increased access to online grading systems for parents.

For families interested in after-school programs, Deputy Superintendent Mark Thompson says more information is on the way.

“We have been working on enrichment programs that go beyond the school day,” he said.  “Mark the calendar [for] August 8^th. Each school website will feature a list of after-school advanced learning opportunities. These programs are hands-on, engaging, and designed to help students explore their interests and deepen their learning.”

Superintendent Kirk Shrum highlighted a few of the district’s achievements last year and provided details about their new strategic plan. 

“We reclassified over 851 English language learners. That’s double the number from the previous year. That means that many more students are English proficient and have more opportunity to take courses in classes. That’s just a sampling of some of the highlights from this past year that we’re looking forward to expanding and building upon for this year,” he explained. “Part of the way we’re going to do that is through the launch of our strategic plan, Visalia Forward 2030, a community-driven blueprint for the future.”

Shrum says one of the things showcased in the plan is a new career experience class, which is the district’s first-ever middle school pathway class. 

“We’re all really excited,” he said. “We have about 500 students already signed up!”

Dr. Amy Frame is the Middle School CTE program manager for VUSD and says the course is offered as an elective for 7^th and 8^th graders.

“Students will be rotating through a series of hands-on labs,” she said. “They relate to specific jobs that will be available to them when they graduate. And the kids get to not just hear about the job but actually try it. Maybe they like learning with working with electrical wire or digital printers or HVAC systems or engines.”

Officials hope the hands-on experience will allow kids to get the knowledge they need for the future.

“Students will be able to understand a much wider variety of different career and educational options and how those careers can contribute to not only their own happiness and well-being but to contribute to that community as well,” Frame explained