Dear Families, Students and Staff,

It is hard to believe that we are fast approaching the end of another school year. Preparations are underway for promotion and graduation ceremonies across the district. As the year winds down, I want to take a moment to reflect on all that we have accomplished together — and to express my deepest gratitude to each and every one of you who made it possible. As I reflect on this past school year, there is so much to be proud of — from academic to athletic to award-winning performances, our students and staff continue to amaze me with their talent, dedication, and perseverance to pursue the best. 

First and foremost, I would like to thank our amazing staff. Your hard work, creativity, and dedication have shaped a year filled with growth, learning, and achievement. Upon visiting our schools over this past year, I continuously saw the way you engaged and connected with our students to make our schools places where students could become critical thinkers, upstanding citizens and kind human beings. Here are two examples of that engagement in action: Valley video and Florin video. Whether in the classroom, on the stage, on the field, or behind the scenes, your commitment to our students' success has been unwavering. You inspire excellence every day, and our schools are better because of you.

 

To our families, thank you for being such vital partners in this journey. Your support, encouragement, and engagement have created a strong foundation for our students to thrive. I have personally witnessed and heard about your dedication to our students from the many wonderful events over this past year. Whether it was turning out and participating in the many school multicultural festivals or elementary writing nights, to participating in our annual Black Family conference, to cheering on our students at the unified basketball and track meets or to the roaring applause you have provided at our many band and theater performances, our students have felt your love and appreciation. It is truly a team effort, and we are so grateful for the trust you place in us and the ways you contribute to the vibrant spirit of our community.

 

Finally, to our students, we are so proud of all you have accomplished. From taking 2nd at the world's high school robotics competition and 2nd and 3rd place in the nation for the CyberPatriot National Championship, to helping beautify our community by painting murals in old Elk Grove to scoring first place in the 4x400 Track and Field Meet of Champs, your hard work and dedication make a lasting impact. I want to especially congratulate our seniors — the Class of 2025 — congratulations! You have demonstrated resilience, leadership and compassion, and you leave behind a legacy that will inspire future generations. Here are just a few examples of those future leaders (senior spotlights and div I & II athlete signing). Congratulations to all the families and students that are celebrating milestones this year. We have more than 4,900 graduating seniors, and I look forward to shaking the hand of each one.

 

As we end this school year and prepare for the next, we want to assure you that we are closely monitoring developments at the state level that may impact education funding. The decisions being made now will shape the resources and opportunities available to our students, and we are fully engaged in understanding and preparing for any changes that may come.

 

We recognize how important it is to keep our community informed. As more information becomes available, we are committed to communicating openly and transparently about how the state budget will affect our district. Our goal is to ensure that you are aware of the challenges and opportunities ahead, and how we are working to maintain the high-quality education our students deserve.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support. I encourage you to enjoy these last few weeks — and for our year-round schools, the final two months. This can be a very busy time of year, so remember to pause, take a breath, and soak it all in. I wish you all a relaxing and rejuvenating summer break and look forward to being together again in the fall.

 

Be well,

 

Dear Elk Grove Unified Families, Students, and Staff,

I write to you today with a heavy heart and mind, not only to inform you of an incident that occurred at one of our schools last week but also to take responsibility for the harm that incidents such as these incur.

The incident in question was a failed intervention for students. The intervention lesson was linked to a non-affiliated EGUSD website that included an article that attempted to trace the origins of the “n-word’”. The article also contained a racially offensive graphic.

The District has launched an investigation into the origins and use of these unapproved supplemental instructional materials. As an immediate step, the staff member who used these materials has been placed on leave. The District is committed to completing a thorough investigation of this matter as expeditiously as possible, adhering to its investigative and due process policies and procedures.  

The District will continue to offer support and resources to students, families, and staff impacted by this incident. However, we recognize that more is needed. We are coordinating restorative steps through the Departments of Family and Community Engagement, Educational Equity, and Educational Services and Schools to ensure a safe and positive learning environment for the entire school. The District will provide opportunities for the community and staff to participate in restorative meetings. Follow-up communications will provide future dates and times.

The District recognizes that racism and bigotry do exist in society, including in our schools. However, we remain committed to being part of the solution to creating safe, inclusive and welcoming communities for our students, families and staff.

It is the District’s duty and mission to provide a high-quality education to all of our students, and this can only be accomplished by addressing the disparities in our students' academic and social-emotional experiences. The District has taken steps to address these disparities, but that critical work is not done. The District holds steadfast to all four of our strategic goals, including providing targeted support and interventions to students who identify as Black/African-American and looks to continue our partnerships with parents and community members to help further this work. 

As a community leader in the role of Superintendent, I take responsibility for these experiences. I, along with the Board of Trustees, am committed to educational excellence for all students, and we achieve that by continuously improving the experiences of our Black/African-American students. Throughout this process and beyond, we will continue listening to the voices of our students, including our student equity councils and Black Student Unions, as well as our parents/guardians, staff, and community members.  

Together, we can make this difference. 

Sincerely,

Christopher R. Hoffman
Superintendent

Michael Vargas
EGUSD School Board President