A new building in Camarillo that will house educational programs for Ventura County students with special needs now has a name. The Ventura County Board of Education last night voted to name the building the Mary E. Samples Education Services Center. Samples will soon be retiring as the leader of the Ventura County SELPA (Special Education Local Plan Area), the agency that administers special education programs for public school students throughout the county.Samples has had a distinguished care...

Nearly 86 percent of Ventura County high school students graduated in the 2016-17 school year, which is better than the statewide graduation rate of 82.7 percent for the same period. That’s according to newly released data from the California Department of Education (CDE). Ventura County’s graduation rate also exceeded the overall state figures in all but one of the major student subgroups as seen in the chart below.Ventura County’s dropout rate was also better than the state a...

About 60 students with autism began summer school today at the brand new campus of Triton Academy, located at 550 Airport Way near the Camarillo Airport.The campus was built from the ground up in just seven months. The project began with the demolition of the old Cowan Center, which used to serve as a conference facility for the Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE). Consisting of relocatable buildings, the new campus features ten classrooms, life and motor skills facilities, a library, staf...

The Ventura County Office of Education officially broke ground on a new special education school in Camarillo Monday evening. The 29,944-square-foot, two-story building will become the new, permanent home of Triton Academy, which serves students with autism in third through twelfth grades. The new school will be located next to the VCOE Conference and Educational Services Center on Adolfo Road.Triton Academy is moving out of its longtime campus on Temple Ave. in Camarillo, which is owned by the ...

Dear Members of the Senior Class of 2018: This month thousands of you have crossed the threshold from high school to adulthood as you gather your diplomas and your many years of hard work and move on to your future. It’s an amazing accomplishment and one for which you should feel deep pride. You are well aware of the dedication and hard work it took to earn your diploma. Many of you juggled extracurricular activities, family obligations, volunteer work and part-time jobs while complet...

She lost her home to the Thomas Fire in the middle of her senior year, but it didn't stop her from achieving her dreams. He's a competitive snowboarder who's part of the first graduating class of Ventura County's newest high school. They're just two of the graduating seniors we're proud to introduce you to in this edition of Focus on Education.

Today in Camarillo, VC Innovates 2018 Pathfinder Awards were presented to this year’s most innovative educators, business and community partners for their support of Career and Technical Education. Twenty-five award recipients selected by each of the education partner school districts as well as thirteen business and community partners were recognized at a luncheon at the Spanish Hills Country Club. All of the honorees have played a pivotal role in bringing career and technical education o...

Teachers from throughout Ventura County are being honored with $13,000 in grants for developing innovative lessons for their students. At a ceremony tonight in Oxnard, the Ventura County Office of Education presented 22 IMPACT II grants to 30 teachers from 12 schools in eight local districts. The grants are funded by local businesses and organizations that wish to promote unique and creative teaching practices.The winners were selected by judging teams comprised of educators and c...

The Ventura County Office of Education is pleased to announce that Kirsten Barajas of Juan Soria Elementary School in the Oxnard School District is the 2018 Ventura County Teacher of the Year. Barajas and her students found out about the honor today when her family, local dignitaries and members of the media made a surprise visit to her classroom.See Video and Photos of the Surprise AnnouncementBarajas is in her 19th year as an educator in the Oxnard School District. She currently teaches sixth ...

Dr. Roger Rice, Deputy Superintendent for Student Services at the Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE), was honored today by the Ventura County Leadership Academy (VCLA) as its Educational Leader of the Year. Dr. Rice received his award today at the VCLA Journey to Leadership Awards Luncheon, which is the premier event in the county recognizing leaders who have made an exceptional impact in our community.“I can think of no one more deserving of this honor,” said Stan Mantooth, V...