Fingertip Facts About
Santa Rita School District

Mission

The mission of the Santa Rita Union School District, a dynamic educational organization, is to assure that all students will be provided an appropriate, challenging instructional program, enabling students to become contribution members of a global community, by providing opportunities to develop academic and social skills in a nurturing environment.

 

Special Opportunities

• Each school has the services of a counselor, a psychologist, a speech therapist, and special education programs ranging from the Resource Specialist to Special Day Classes. All programs feature Mastery Instruction.

• All schools feature after-school programs for eligible students with a focus on extended learning, recreation and clubs and organizations.

• Instrumental music is available in both elementary and middle school. Both band and string instruction is offered at all schools. Graduates from Gavilan Middle School are among the most advanced music students joining the high school programs.  Vocal music is offered in grades 4-8.

• Foreign language instruction for English speaking students in Japanese, French or Spanish begins in elementary school and continues through middle school.  Gavilan View is the California State Demonstration Project for foreign language instruction.

• After school sports are available at Gavilan View Middle School. Students may go out for basketball, wrestling, volleyball, softball, and golf.

Achievement

• Recent state STAR assessment shows Santa Rita District achievement above the county average and above all surrounding districts.

• The last four years of standardized tests show our students, on average, growing over one year in skills and knowledge for each year in Santa Rita Schools. By the end of eighth grade students are at or above grade level.

• Gavilan View students repeatedly win high honors at the Cal-State University Foreign Language Olympics for middle schools.

• La Joya School has been recognized repeatedly for its HOSTS reading tutorial program as a National Quality Award Winner. Reading is now supplemented at both schools with reading tutors from the America Reads program.

• Elementary schools are in the process of evaluating curriculum and instruction reform programs to determine what approaches will significantly improve achievement even more in reading and mathematics.

Student Conduct

• All fifth grade students receive the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program from local Sheriff and police officers. The program emphasizes making good decisions to stay healthy, off drugs, out of gangs, and involved in getting a good education.

• Student behavior is quite good as indicated by a low incidence of serious problems on any campus. School administrators and staff quickly and effectively stop problems early before they grow.

• Monthly special activities reward and encourage good behavior at Gavilan View Middle School.

• All students receive a six week drug prevention education program.  "Here's Looking at You, 2000" the comprehensive curriculum adopted by the Board.