re than 500 submissions), a new name has been selected for the district recently formed with voter approval of Measure B. The winning name is Twin Rivers Unified School District (TRUSD).
The district took an additional step forward with the hiring of four exceptional education leaders: Frank Porter, former Superintendent of the Rio Linda Union School District has accepted the position of Interim Superintendent. In addition, Dr. Ramona Bishop, the current Superintendent of the Del Paso Heights School District accepted the position of Interim Associate Superintendent of Curriculum and Achievement. Patty Smart, the current Superintendent of the North Sacramento School District, will serve as Interim Associate Superintendent of Human Resources and Robert Ball, former Assistant Superintendent of Business Services for the Rio Linda School District will serve as Interim Chief Business Officer.
While the new district does not assume responsibility for school operations until July 1, there are a number of planning activities underway. Administrators and principals in all four districts have attended informational meetings. All principals received a letter to share with their staff, and representatives from the employee associations in all four districts have come together to form a calendar committee and are developing the calendar for the 2008-2009 school year. There are also more than a dozen joint administrative task force groups made up of staff from all four districts striving to blend all four systems into one.
Staff received a questionnaire that asked about their current positions and their ideas for the new district. In addition, Interim Superintendent Frank Porter has been conducting personal informational interviews with management staff of all four districts. To date, Porter has talked with more than 50 managers, and he meets with several each day. “These conversations are providing me with invaluable information about our schools, students, and staff and I am amazed at the depth of talent we have at all four districts,” said Porter.
There are a series of Community Summits already underway inviting parents to ask questions and to share what they want their new school to look like. The public is welcome to attend. Lunch and daycare will be provided. Some sites will provide translation for speakers of Russian, Spanish and Hmong. Call the district office at 566-1600 for more information.
Also Oakdale Elementary in North Highlands will be home to a new Regional Parent Information Resource Center - providing unique tools to parents in the Rio Linda School District and is open to all students throughout North Sacramento when the change to Twin Rivers District is official. The Center, located in Oakdale’s former multi-purpose room will provide extra materials and services for (ESL) English as second language students and their families. “It’s still pretty rough, but we are working hard to make it a space we are all proud to call home,” said Porter.
The next Twin River Unified board of trustees meeting is Tuesday, February 5 (7 p.m.) at the new office. Meetings are held the first and third Tuesdays of each month. Twin Rivers is also looking for a new logo to match their name. Submissions can be sent to the new office care of “Twin Rivers Logo Contest” or emailed to info@twinriversusd.org . Logo submissions are due February 20, 2008. For more information about Twin Rivers Unified and to sign up for updates, visit www.twinriversusd.org.