Chico Unified officials say more than $80 million in taxpayer-approved funds is getting used to address long-known problems at aging schools.
The district is updating or rebuilding most elementary schools, two middle schools and, eventually, both high schools.
Several elementary schools are getting new transitional kindergarten classrooms to prepare for the launch of a new state-mandated TK program for 4-year-olds at the start of the new school year Aug. 19. Those schools are Little Chico Creek, Marigold and Emma Wilson elementaries, and the funding comes from the Measure K bond issue.
“It’s [the TK program] been a challenge for the whole state to implement, but we’re lucky because we have bond dollars,” said Julie Kistle, director of facilities and construction.read more
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has given new life to a lawsuit against Chico Unified School District that was filed in response to its policy that shaped the handling of a gender identity case.
The higher court in April said that U.S. Eastern District Court Judge John Mendez erred in dismissing a lawsuit filed by Chico parent Aurora Regino. Mendez said Regino didn’t have the legal foundation to pursue a claim opposing the district’s anti-discrimination and student privacy policy.
That policy prohibits the school from notifying parents about a student’s gender identity concerns or decisions without the student’s consent.read more
Immigrant advocacy organizations are racing to block the Trump Administration’s attempts to enforce the campaign promise of “mass deportations” that could potentially affect millions of people.
But in the North State, many people live far away from immigration attorneys who could help them with their existing cases or new threats from ICE, said Chico attorney Sergio Garcia, who practices personal injury law, and in 2014, became the nation’s first undocumented person to obtain a law license. Garcia is now an American citizen.
Garcia regularly directs immigrants needing legal help to attorneys practicing in Sacramento.
In recent weeks, the federal government has revoked green cards and student visas — sometimes because of political views — and is pressuring the IRS to provide tax information that will help detain and deport people.
Legal experts joined an American Community Media panel March 28 to explain how the administration, through these actions, has circumvented due process – particularly by deporting hundreds of people to detention centers in Panama or El Savador.
Zenobia Lai, executive director of Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative, said there are two approaches within the administration’s strategy. The administration has first focused on “let no one in” — making the border crossing process more difficult, for one — and then moving to “kick everyone out,” she said.
“The process begins with (accusing people) of an unlawful presence, denying birthright citizenship and then shutting the door behind people … by creating a situation where young people are also denied a future after removal of the older generations,” Lai said.
Todd Schulte, president of FWD.us, a bipartisan political organization focused on immigration and criminal justice reform using the FWD.us Education Fund, said Trump will not stop expanding the definition of who he determines cannot live in America.
Schulte said the president will seek to remove people who secured legal entry from under many violent regimes, such as Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s invasion of their country and people fleeing Afghanistan under the Taliban regime. That will exacerbate pressure at the border and in the overwhelmed court system, he said.
“We heard so much during the campaign — to go back nine and a half years — about Mexicans and Muslims. We’ve seen an effort to expand this effort of criminalizing folks,” Schulte said.
David Leopold, former president and general counsel of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, emphasized how Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act is the first such example since the federal government employed it during World War II to incarcerate Japanese Americans in internment camps. He said the goal is to remove Venezuelans from America, establishing a dangerous “policy by rhetoric” practice to bypass the country’s well-established courtroom processes and rules protecting due process for immigrants.
“This is about due process, and taking all of these complicated laws together is an abridgement and an encroachment,” Leopold said.
He added: “A majority of people held in ICE jails and prisons are in privately operated facilities — many of these are in the South, and Louisiana has many of them.”
Garcia, the Chico attorney, emphasized how crucial Trump’s rhetoric has been to not only make people fearful, but embolden people who are prejudiced against migrants.
“The reality is that the rhetoric is frankly what’s most harmful because it emboldens others to no longer hide their racism,” Garcia said. “The fact remains (while) Trump has deported less people than Biden and Obama, what’s truly harmful are his terror tactics that affect the most vulnerable.
“In the end, his economic policies will sink us all,” Garcia added, “but I guess the philosophy of some is, ‘That’s ok as long as he gets rid of immigrants first.’”
Garcia was approved for his green card soon after coming to the United States, but then waited in the so-called “line” for the actual card for more than 20 years.
There are a few resources available for people living in rural Northern California. Chico State’s DREAM Center offers support for undocumented students and those from mixed-status immigrant families, including consultations with its immigration legal services provider, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA).
NorCal Resist – an immigrant advocacy organization – posts regularly about potential ICE raids in the Sacramento Valley.
“Please remember many people are terrified right now,” NorCal Resist said in an April 6 Facebook post. “Sharing unverified rumors causes harm and distress to people who we all care about. We will immediately post information once verified. If you are a student who has had a visa revocation you are also welcome to reach out to us for assistance connecting with legal and other resources.”
Natalie Hanson is a contributing editor at ChicoSol.
Chico’s Stonewall Alliance is pushing back against nationwide anti-trans rhetoric by bringing together allies and LGBTQ people to stand by their trans neighbors, culminating with a rally Sunday.
The nonprofit organization, which provides resources to LGBTQ people and their families, organized special programming throughout the last week of March, such as workshops and training sessions.
Executive Director Justina Sotelo led one of these sessions March 24, one of several workshops designed to train people on being bystanders prepared to handle escalating incidents where an LGBTQ person is targeted with threats or worse.
“This information will be helpful for all actions, rallies, protests, and daily situations we may find ourselves in as active allies to trans people and other marginalized communities,” Sotelo told a group of nine attendees in a video workshop.
Sotelo, presenting several videos on responding to public incidents with a perpetrator and victim — or “target” of threats — emphasized the importance of managing one’s emotions and practicing self-awareness to de-escalate conflicts. She asked if anyone had witnessed a situation where a queer person was unsafe and felt unsure how to help, and several attendees said they had.
Sotelo presented a wide range of examples of disrespect toward queer people from name calling and “jokes,” to verbal harassment and doxxing. Speaking up can look different in various situations, from ignoring the perpetrator and speaking only to the victim, to directly confronting a perpetrator. The approach varies based on many factors, including the power dynamics and whether there’s a clear physical threat, she said.
“Follow the lead of the target,” Sotelo said. “Don’t make things worse.”
Several attendees said they’ve used the strategy of distracting a perpetrator, not always with success. Participant Florence Ives said they’re working on not being reactive and avoiding argument with perpetrators in order to help protect a victim or “target.”
“If you can’t get involved until the person leaves, then you wait, and then get involved with the target where they are at,” Ives said.
Sotelo said that sometimes intervention cannot take place immediately to protect a victim of harassment or threats. A bystander must carefully consider a victim’s safety, she said.
“This idea of keeping their safety in mind is best because we may not be the best to intervene,” Sotelo said. She added that when it comes to perpetrators who are willing to publicly attack an LGBTQ person, allies must remember that arguing is not helpful. “There’s a reality where we’re not going to change their minds.”
Stonewall Alliance has two events planned for the weekend, including a poster making event on Saturday. Attendees are encouraged to make signs to use for the following day’s rally supporting the trans community.
The rally, the Trans Day of Visibility Action, starts at 11 a.m. Sunday at City Plaza in downtown Chico. It’s slated to end at 2 p.m. and will include booths aimed at raising awareness about anti-trans boycotts, inclusive school-based and business policies, and letter-writing campaigns aimed at elected officials.
“The intention of this rally is to do more than just gather,” Stonewall Alliance said in a press release. “We’re also here to take real action on things that affect the lives of trans people and our whole community.”
Natalie Hanson is a contributing editor to ChicoSol.
Almost 53 percent of Chico Unified students met or surpassed the standard for English Language Arts testing in the 2023-24 school year.
Test scores in English are on the rise at some Chico Unified School District (CUSD) elementary schools, but there was an overall decline in English and math at 16 of the district’s 22 schools, including the two high schools.
An analysis of state and national test scores shows the average student remains half a grade level behind pre-pandemic achievement in both reading and math.
CUSD, as a whole, is following that trend.
Schools showing the most progress in both English and math were McManus, Citrus, Chapman, Little Chico Creek and Hooker Oak elementary schools, said Tim Cariss, CUSD director of assessment and accountability. For example, Hooker Oak and Little Chico Creek improved their math scores during the 2023-24 academic year by 16.6 and 9.8 points, respectively. McManus students are still below the state standard in English testing, but they made the most growth by improving 17.6 points last year.
“They’re setting the climate in addition to ramping up their academics,” Cariss said.
Cariss attributed the gains to use of pandemic relief funds to create effective academic interventions. But there’s still a long way to go, he said, before school performance is back to pre-pandemic levels.
In English language proficiency, students who are learning English are outperforming students in many similar-sized school districts throughout the state, Cariss told the Board of Trustees last month. That’s showing up in scores on the ELPAC, California’s test measuring English learner progress toward fluency.
“Overall,” Cariss said, “we look very good when compared to the state.”
Throughout CUSD, Hispanic students (30% of the student population), Pacific Islander, American native and Black students are all underperforming in the English category, as are foster youth and socioeconomically-disadvantaged students.
English language learners and students with disabilities are measuring largely in the “red” zone, the lowest of a color-coded system in which blue is the highest followed by green, yellow, orange and red.
Both of CUSD’s high schools, while achieving the yellow rating, saw drops in math scores with some groups — English language learners, African Americans, homeless students, and students with disabilities -– scoring in the red zone.
Cariss commented on the district’s efforts to improve scores for marginalized student populations, saying that CUSD uses a “robust” system to measure student progress and identify needs on a case-by-case basis. Staff meet with parents and students from all grade levels to gather feedback on their school experiences. The district also added additional preparation support for students required to take the annual ELPAC.
“On every Chico Unified campus, regular meetings are held with intervention teams to monitor academic, social-emotional, and behavioral progress for individual students. The teams use data to identify student needs and take appropriate action,” Cariss said.
CUSD’s graduation rate has also declined, now measuring below some similar-sized districts such as Vacaville Unified, but there are signs that could change. The percentage of students who are absent for more than 10 percent of the school year, aka chronic absenteeism, has gone down 3.2 percent for elementary and middle school students.
Cariss said both high schools are exploring academic incentives for students who aim to perform well on tests and show motivation. Last year, Chico High started testing students in math in the 11th grade and administering interim assessments to students in the 9th and 10th grades to help them prepare for the tests that were coming.
“We won’t see the benefits of that for our ninth graders until next year,” Cariss said.
Educators meanwhile are growing nervous as the federal government signals a move toward dramatic cuts that could impact millions of students. President Trump last week said he’s preparing to sign an executive order to begin eliminating the U.S. Department of Education. The order would direct Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Education Department.”
Earlier This week the department began mass layoffs.
Newly elected board member Teisha Hase said in an email to ChicoSol that she’s deeply concerned about the impact this could have on the lowest-scoring student groups. Those students heavily rely on support programs using millions in federal dollars that are now at risk.
“So where is the money going to come from to serve this vulnerable and protected group?” Hase said. “My experience in education is when funding sources disappear, hard decisions have to be made, and it is not speculation to say that if districts in the state and across the nation lose federal funding, families and students will lose programs and services that are meaningful.”
Natalie Hanson is a contributing editor to ChicoSol.
A Stonewall Alliance Chico flier circulates during this Black History Month seeking support for queer and trans people of color.
LGBTQ advocates from Chico and beyond say that the Trump Administration’s jump to “criminalize and erase” transgender people will worsen an ongoing rise of hate and violence toward a marginalized community.
Stonewall Alliance Chico, a nonprofit that has served LGBTQ people for decades, told ChicoSol in a statement that Trump’s anti-trans campaign — recognizing only “biological men and women” — is the latest in an “ongoing wave” of policies attempting to erase the transgender and gender non-conforming community.
Stonewall Alliance Chico Executive Director Justina Sotelo said: “Trans people have always existed and cannot be legislated out of existence. Executive orders do not override federal or state laws, and in California, strong protections remain in place to defend trans and LGBTQ+ rights, ensuring access to healthcare, education, and legal affirmation.”
Trump has issued executive orders that block gender marker changes on passports and that ban federal funding for gender-affirming care for transgender people. On inauguration day, he issued an executive order that recognizes only male and female sexes.
“As of this day, it will be the policy of the United States: there are only two sexes – male and female,” Trump said in his inauguration speech.
Medical professionals generally consider biological sex and gender identity to be different.
Chico’s Stonewall Alliance is among groups that are shaken by the Trump Administration’s swift move to criminalize the existence of the trans community or erase acknowledgement of trans people from federal websites.
LGBTQ advocates say that language, and the executive orders, pose dangerous threats to the nation’s 1.6 million transgender people. The orders seek to erase transgender people’s existence in legal matters, healthcare, and education sites, even during a nationwide rise in hate crimes, they say.
In a roundtable discussion hosted by Ethnic Media Services, Jordan Willow Evans of the Executive Committee of MassEquality spoke out about her fear and frustration. Evans was the only openly transgender Republican elected official in the United States until she left the Log Cabin Republicans in 2019 over the party’s endorsement of Trump.
“As someone who is a trans woman and as someone who is an American, this is akin to watching a slow-moving train crash,” Evans said. “It comes purely on the backs of a very small and marginalized people.”
Ilan H. Meyer, a senior public policy scholar at the Williams Institute and professor emeritus of sociomedical sciences at Columbia University, called Trump’s passport marker order “brutal.” It would prevent people from safely traveling with passports reflecting their gender and from being housed in shelters or jails aligning with their gender, he said.
Rescinding these rights could increase the likelihood of people committing violence and hate crimes against LGBTQ people – particularly transgender and nonbinary people, Meyer said. He called the use of false rhetoric about trans people — including myths about children receiving gender affirming surgeries — “ludicrous” attempts to stoke public fear of queer people.
“It seems to be all about meanness,” Meyer said. “Transgender and nonbinary people have been under attack for years, and anti-trans rhetoric can lead to increased violence against trans people and LGBTQ people in general.”
Sailor Jones, associate director at Common Cause North Carolina, said he learned of the passport order after having “frantically” succeeded in getting his gender marker changed on his passport before Trump was elected. He called it an attempt to erase transgender people’s existence while blaming them for many unrelated problems.
“These moves are meant to create a climate of fear and try to intimate us into making our lives smaller,” Jones said. “It’s now our charge to make our lives bigger and our voices louder than ever before. The question is, where do folks feel safe to do so in this climate?”
Bamby Salcedo, president and CEO of the TransLatina Coalition, said that trans people anticipated such orders, following hundreds of pieces of anti-trans legislation passing in more than half of the country. She said it’s just another step in a decades-long conservative campaign to reverse hard-won victories for transgender people.
“Trump is the puppet of the broader extreme conservative religious white movement,” Salcedo said. “Things we’re experiencing today are not new to us. They have been planning all of this for several years. There’s a reason why we have a conservative Supreme Court; all of this has been the tactic. We have a government that says we are not worthy, we do not have the right to participate.”
To fight back, the speakers said localized resources for LGBTQ people will be lifesaving.
Gael Mateo Jerez-Urquia, Project TRANS services navigator at the San Diego LGBTQ Center, said that the executive orders have left many clients seeking answers, and his team has performed “endless check-ins” trying to support them. The center is aware of a rise in local hate crimes against nonbinary and transgender people, he said.
“There is this fear and uncertainty because of the executive orders,” Jerez-Urquia said. “We’ve also witnessed an increase in LGBTQ youth utilizing a crisis hotline by 200%. Forty-five percent of transgender youth are considering fleeing to different states, with or without family.”
Those statistics show why local resources like Stonewall are vital to help support people who need safe spaces to gather and find community, said Sotelo in Chico. She said that Stonewall Alliance Chico will continue to be visible and vocal about its resources and support LGBTQ people in the North State.
“We are actively working to keep our community informed about their legal rights, changes to federal policies, and available support,” Sotelo said. “We will continue to offer legal document assistance and provide access to gender-affirming care and offer education and training to local organizations and schools. All our efforts are aimed at helping our community live as their true selves.”
Natalie Hanson is a contributing editor to ChicoSol.
