North Sacramento County voters passed Measure B yesterday, a special referendum that creates a new school district by combining the Rio Linda, North Sacramento, Grant Joint Union High School and Del Paso Heights Districts into a single unified school district serving students preschool through 12th grade.
The new district, which becomes effective July 2008, will cover 120 square miles in north Sacramento County and serve close to 30,000 students.
"In the new unified district, we expect all of the students and families involved to benefit from an improved educational experience through increased financial stability and accountability, consistent academic standards; and shared resources and consolidated services, which will free up funding for classroom programs, textbooks and supplies," said Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools David W. Gordon.
In addition to supporting the unification, voters also elected seven trustees for the newly unified district. This new board serves immediately and will be responsible for naming the new district, hiring a superintendent, overseeing transition and managing the new district. The four districts which were consolidated will continue to operate until July 1, 2008.
The Sacramento County Registrar of Voters has determined that certification of the election will take approximately ten days to complete. The first meeting of the new Board of Education will be held after official certification.
Acknowledging that there are challenging timelines associated with the formation of a new unified district, Gordon said, "This is a new beginning. All of us, teachers, administrators, staff and parents, need to work together to capture the potential of this new district and ensure our students receive outstanding education from their pre-school years through high school."