CVUSD highlights student success amid budget cuts, teacher layoffs

THERMAL, Calif. (KESQ) – The Coachella Valley Unified School District has been dealing with an ongoing mass layoff, hoping to aid its $50 million budget deficit. In the wake of these challenges, the district is recognizing its progress in new learning programs and student success.

In the State of the District meeting, Superintendent Frances Esparza said CVUSD has implemented it's first ever instructional framework for learning rooted in neuroscience.

Along with the new program, CVUSD has seen improvements in it's CAASPP test scores, graduation rates and college, and career readiness. In 2021, the district saw 76% of it's students graduate compared to 85% in 2024.

With college and career readiness they have seen an increase of 37% of students ready in 2021 to 43% in 2024. Both categories of graduation and readiness reach the "green" threshold for the district, something they are reaching for the first time.

Two programs the district highlighted were it's KidWind challenges and Prisms learning. With KidWind, one group of middle school students from Bobby Duke Middle School created wind turbine and solar device running on "girl power" called "Blossom."

With a partnership in a company called Prisms, students with CVUSD have also been learning math in a new way with virtual reality. The program creates real life scenarios to teach students math in a way they will remember in an interaction space.

While the success of students and its new programs are exciting for the district, the road to recovery after the budget cuts and teacher layoffs is not over yet.

Stay with News Channel 3 to hear more from CVUSD officials on their success and challenges.