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SPECIAL EDITION

October 2023

Clovis Unified School District — DEVELOPING STUDENTS IN MIND, BODY & SPIRIT	Volume 26, No.3

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— 2023 REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY —

A Message from the Superintendent

In Clovis Unified, students are at the center of	Through the strength of our academic programs, the quality of every decision we make, and we value and                  co-curricular offerings, the world class facilities we build thanks to your recognize that through our students we are              support of facility bonds, in every area of education, we work hard for woven together as a community. We hold tightly     our students. Of utmost importance to that work are our people. They to that knowledge, and it calls upon us to act with      are the caring individuals who put on a Clovis Unified employee badge transparency, to set high standards for ourselves         every day and do the hard work as a team that builds trust and
Corrine Folmer, Ed.D.
and our students, and to pour our best into our	confidence in each other, in our students and in our community. students, their families and our community.                      As we live out our three organizational aims to Maximize
Superintendent		How well we achieve our goals is directly	Achievement for ALL Students; Operate with Increasing Efficiency and correlated to the quality of our schools, and the	Effectiveness; and Hire, Develop, Sustain and Value a High-Quality,
attending our scho	serve.
Our success	I invite you to share
quality of your local public schools has a great impact on your life,	Diverse Workforce, we are provided an amazing opportunity to make a whether you do or do                                                                                                                                                                    difference in the very not have a student ols.	Students are at the center of every decision.	special community we

impacts your property	in the journey of our values. It impacts the	close to 43,000 business community	students and the
by attracting tourism	incredible team of and through our use	educators who serve of the local supply	them. In the following chain. It impacts the	pages, you will find vitality of the	stories about community by	educators and drawing high quality	students focused on employers to our area.	excellence, and data And, most	points to illustrate the importantly, it impacts	return on your
the future of our	investment in Clovis community through	Unified and in your the quality of our	local schools. graduates and their                                                                                                                                                                            Thank you for your preparedness to	partnership and assume a role in the workforce and society as responsible citizens.            support today, and in the months ahead. Together, we will keep our
We are accountable to you, our local community, and we regularly	students, their academic well-being and their future success at the heart look for ways to reach out to connect you with our journey. Our	of all that we do here in Clovis Unified.
Corrine Folmer, Ed.D.
students come ﬁrst, and we want to invite you into our work to educate, inspire and equip them in mind, body and spirit.

◆ 2 National Blue Ribbon
Schools
◆ 1 California Distinguished School
◆ 2 Schools to Watch
◆ 13 Bonner Character Awards
◆ 4 State Civic Learning Awards
◆ 44 Digital Citizenship Schools
◆ 23 PBIS Coalition Awards ◆ 2 Fresno County Educator
Award Winners
◆ 2 State Athletic Team Titles; 7 State Individual Champions; 18 Valley Titles; 23 League Titles

WHO WE ARE

Clovis Unified is more than its name implies. Our 200-square-mile boundary includes most of Clovis, 20 percent of Fresno and a small portion of unincorporated Fresno County. We work in partnership with three local governments and multi-ple law enforcement agencies.
We strive to make a positive impact in the communities in which our schools are located by offering high-quality education to children; well-kept facilities that enhance neighborhoods and add to property values; and top venues to draw large regional, state and
national events to the area that support local economies.

95.6% Graduation

WHERE OUR STUDENTS LIVE

City of       City of Clovis        Fresno

Fresno       Out of County      County

OUR VISION: To be America’s benchmark for excellence in education

Page 2 | CUSD Today Special Edition | October 2023	REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY

92%
$660M
96%
87%
REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY	October 2023 | CUSD Today Special Edition | Page 3

Clovis Unified at a Glance OurVision:TobeAmerica’s benchmark for excellence in education.

95.6%
Graduation Rate

42,802 Students

7 School Areas

		
	
Students Say
If I work hard, I know I can improve.

Parents Say
Schools provide a quality education that promotes academic student success.
Employees Say
Proud to work for Clovis Uniﬁed

3%

7%

16%	40%

34%

Student Demographics

Hispanic

White

Asian

Black

Other

44 Comprehensive

Schools

9 Specialty

Schools

3 Schools Under

Construction

14th Largest District in California

General Fund*
*Includes $25.6M from one-time funds

48.26
%
Students qualify as foster, English learner and/or socio-economically disadvantaged

$12.8 Millionin scholarships awarded to graduating seniors in 2022-23

Clovis Uniﬁed State Test Scores

State test scores for the 2022-23 school year are not yet available. Clovis Unified’s scores for the previous year were 66% of students at or above the English Language Arts standard (state average was 47%) and 49% of students at or above the Math standard (state average 33%). Clovis Unified’s scores were the 2nd highest among the Top 20 Largest School Districts in California.

Following the pandemic and students experiencing varying forms of remote and hybrid instruction, ELA and math scores on a whole declined statewide reflecting student learning loss. This year, Clovis Unified is focused on improving academic achievement and innovative ways to support student growth.

The California Department of Education will release schools, districts, counties and state scores later this year. For updates, visit the CDE website at: cde.ca.gov.

Sources for this publication: California Department of Education, 2022-23 SART Survey, 2022-23 Climate Survey, 2022-23 Student Survey, CUSD LCAP. Learn more: CUSD.com

Foundation 6x10

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REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY	October 2023 | CUSD Today Special Edition | Page 5

State of Our Facilities

We believe engaging learning environments, well-maintained campuses and state-of-the-art facilities challenge, inspire and encourage our students to succeed in mind, body and spirit!

Clovis Uniﬁed is a growing district.

A drive within our 198-square-mile boundary quickly reveals new home construction and multi-family developments under construction that are projected to bring many new students to our schools. This, combined with existing overcrowding at several Clovis Unified campuses and a new state law requiring the opening of Transitional Kindergarten (TK) as a full grade level, have created the need for more classroom space. Clovis Unified is using developer fees and bond dollars to build three schools.

◆ Satoshi Hirayama Elementary: Opening for TK-6th graders Fall 2024. McKinley and Fowler avenues.

◆ Terry P. Bradley Educational Center: Includes Clovis South High School and a still-to-be-named intermediate school. Phased opening with 7-9th graders attending Fall 2025, and adding a grade level each year until fully operational by 2028. Highland and Clinton alignment.

However, a changing economy since initial plans were developed due to the pandemic and supply shortages dramatically increased costs.

“A 30% increase on a multi-million-dollar project is a lot of money that we cannot just make up by cutting back. We will do everything on our part to adjust plans and become innovative with finances, but these steep escalations likely require a future bond measure to ultimately complete the projects,” said Assistant Superintendent of Facility Services Denver Stairs.

Construction of these much-needed schools will focus first on building what is essential for school operations.

Terry P. Bradley Educational Center

Satoshi Hirayama Elementary

4.8million SQUARE FEET OF

BUILDING SPACE

537 ACRES OF

LANDSCAPING

96% Parents say buildings and
ground are well maintained

35,000 Events held at CUSD facilities by non-school groups

Modernization & Upgrades

◆ District Wide: Development of one-touch automatic door locking system. (In progress)

◆ Clark Intermediate/Mercedes Edwards Theatre: Modernize industrial arts building, add backstage and storage. (In progress)

◆ Energy Management System: Updates at multiple sites. (Complete)

◆ Clovis Uniﬁed Soccer Complex at Clovis East High: Added bleachers, bathrooms, field house and ticket booth to create district’s premier soccer facility for large competitions. (Pictured, right)

Clovis Uniﬁed Soccer Complex

Taking Care of Our Existing Facilities
In the 2022-23 year, the Facilities Team worked on multiple Maintenance Projects including flooring, painting, air systems, paving, sealing and striping at: Clovis Elementary, Cole Elementary, Copper Hills Elementary, Fort Washington Elementary, Fugman Elementary, Liberty Elementary, Maple Creek Elementary, Mickey Cox Elementary, Nelson Elementary, Sierra Vista Elementary, Woods Elementary, Clark Intermediate, Granite Ridge Intermediate, Buchanan High, Clovis East High, Clovis North High, Clovis West High and Gateway High.

CUSD Today,Clovis Unified’s good news publication, is published each month except for July and is sent direcly to the homes of all CUSD parents and staff, as well as district supporters and those residing within the district boundary. Businesses and services advertising with CUSD Today help offset the cost associated with producing, printing and mailing.

October 2023 Volume 26, No. 3

Clovis Unified School District 1450 Herndon Avenue, Clovis, CA 93611 Telephone (559) 327-9000 Fax (559) 327-2957

SUPERINTENDENT Corrine Folmer, Ed.D. CLOVIS UNIFIED GOVERNING BOARD

President– David DeFrank Vice President– Hugh Awtry Clerk – Stephen G. Fogg, M.D.

Members Deena Combs-Flores
Yolanda Moore Clinton Olivier Tiffany Stoker Madsen

Kelly Avants, APR Chief Communications Oficer
Patti J. Lippert Managing Editor Kellie Feramisco Advertising Manager Joey Elswick Graphic Designer Verna Garcia Page Designer

84
%
REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY	October 2023 | CUSD Today Special Edition | Page 7 SPIRIT. 2023-24 Theme

Three out of four students say they are involved in extra school activities such as sports, drama, band, dance, science fair, robotics and clubs.

87% of parents say schools have a positive environment

Clovis Uniﬁed has a pro-active Wellness Support System that
includes Clovis Support	Students say they
and Intervention (CSI),      feel like they are a Positive Behavior              part of their school
Interventions and
Support (PBIS), Behavior Consultation Team (BCT), Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, Suicide Prevention and Social-Emotional Support Providers.

Diversity awareness lessons,
multi-cultural festivals and heritage clubs are at each campus. Leadership
conferences spotlight African-American,
Asian, Latino and Native American mentors and contributions.

Campus Snapshots

• Clovis North Marching Band performed in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.

� Fancher Creek’s “Show Your Love” collected 942 pounds of trash in the nearby neighborhood.

� Gateway High made a bike for every elementary school.

Why do we do what we do?

Because every one of these students pictured – and 43,000 more! – are counting on us to take their first-day enthusiasm and keep it ignited in a learning environment that puts kids ﬁrst. Whether it is a bus driver warmly welcoming a child by name, a teacher opening the classroom at lunch for extra help or a librarian growing a literary collection for diverse interests, every member of the Clovis Unified team shares the goal to do what is best for our students in mind, body and spirit.

Kids are, and will always be,
at the center of every decision we make.

2023-24 ﬁrst-day-of-school photos shared by Clovis Uniﬁed parents

REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY	October 2023 | CUSD Today Special Edition | Page 9

Why a Foundation for Clovis Schools?

It’s hard to believe when you see the results Clovis Uniﬁed achieves or when you step foot onto one of its beautiful campuses or facilities, but the district must do a lot with signiﬁcantly less funding than its neighboring districts every year. In the 2022-23 school year, Clovis Uniﬁed received an average of $2,936 less per student than other school districts in Fresno County. This is why the Foundation for Clovis Schools exists: To help bridge the funding gap and support educators and students with resources needed to succeed by providing grants and scholarships that allow educators to continue innovating and students to continue pursuing their dreams.

$120million ADDITIONAL AMOUNT CLOVIS UNIFIED WOULD RECEIVE IF PROVIDED THE COUNTY AVERAGE PER PUPIL FUNDING.

Funding Per Student

$11,368

Clovis Uniﬁed

$14,304

Fresno County Average

California’s Local Control Funding Formula divides dollars between school districts based on varying levels of qualifying students (low income, homeless, English learners and/or foster youth). In Clovis Uniﬁed, about 48% of students match these qualiﬁcations, but since the district falls short of the 55% threshold, it does not receive Concentration Funds.

2022-23 Foundation Highlights

Doc Buchanan Leadership Academy
Provided training and resources to over 130 district leaders. This partnership between the Foundation and district strives to
develop strong leaders prepared for the future whose decision-making is grounded in the timeless core values and educational beliefs that have contributed to the district’s success over time. 25 Classroom, School and Emotional

Wellness Grants Provided over $169,000 to support projects that help teachers innovate in their classrooms. These funds helped create more inclusive environments for students with special needs, introduced students to new science and technology equipment, purchased substance abuse prevention curriculum and much more.
157 New Teacher Grants
Awarded $30,420 to teachers new to the district to help prepare their classrooms to be vibrant learning environments for Clovis Unified students. 17 Students
of Promise Scholarships

Rewarded 17 remarkable 11th graders with a combined total of $34,000 to pursue their goals with a scholarship upon enrollment into
post-secondary education.

	

For over 50 years we’ve helped people like you

121W. Sierra Street

COVID-19 Testing, Vaccinations& Medications

Page 10 | CUSD Today Special Edition | October 2023	REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY