A call from the Palm Desert High School Assistant Principal went out around 11:30 am alerting parents that a student protest has forced school officials to call a lockout on campus. A lockout means no visitors on campus at this time. Desert Sand Unified Spokeswoman Mary Perry says “approximately 100 students peacefully walked to the
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On Thursday, graduating students at College of the Desert had the chance to grab their tickets and pick-up their caps and gowns ahead of the 2022 commencement ceremony. More than 1,200 COD students will get their degrees and certificates on May 25. The college says it’s the largest graduating class in its history. Students say that they are
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The College of the Desert Foundation is awarding $20,000 in scholarships to students today in an effort to support students who were impacted by racism in March and February. “In February, the college held virtual events and during those virtual events, there were racial comments shared by community members,” said College of the Desert Public
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Part 2 of the Interview: On Tuesday, the Desert Sands Unified School District’s board of education voted unanimously to appoint Dr. Kelly May-Vollmar to serve as the next superintendent. After the vote came, a loud round of applause rang throughout the board chambers. “I couldn’t be more thrilled. I have literally grown up in Desert Sands,
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The Desert Sands Unified School District officially has its next superintendent. On Tuesday, the DSUSD Board of Education voted to appoint longtime Desert Sands educator Dr. Kelly May-Vollmar as the new superintendent of the district. May-Vollmar’s contract will run until 2025 with a base salary of $282,000, however, it could be increased yearly, according to
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The College of the Desert special board meeting was an in-depth review of the proposed sites for the Roadrunner Motors facility. Full board meeting: https://youtu.be/BMYlEPzwXkg There are three locations being considered. First, the original site next to the Cathedral City Auto Center, which is already owned by COD. Second, a different location in Cathedral City along
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College of the Desert officials will provide an update on the Palm Springs campus at Thursday’s city council meeting. The project has been in the works since 2004 and almost $1 billion in taxes have been raised to fund construction. The project has faced numerous delays, prompting frustrations from city leaders and residents alike. College
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The Long Beach-based California State University system will abandon the use of SAT and ACT tests in its admission process, permanently adopting a policy today that was implemented on a temporary basis during the COVID-19 pandemic. The CSU Board of Trustees voted unanimously Wednesday to scrap the use of the standardized tests in admissions decisions,
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The Black Student Success Center (BSSC) at College of the Desert is now open weekly. The center provides support, networking, and mentoring for those on campus and beyond. BSSC is accessible every Thursday from noon to 5 p.m. on the Palm Desert Campus, room 112, next to Beeps Café. According to the school, BSSC members
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Some East Valley parents called for the Coachella Valley Unified School District to do more for their children’s mental health. Parents gathered at the Guadalupe Family Center in Mecca to raise their voices, calling for enforcement of an agreement adopted last year by the school board on the issue. “About mental health, specifically the ‘wellness
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On Friday, the College of the Desert board of trustees will meet to discuss bond measures, as well as future projects such as the Palm Springs campus. COD’s Palm Springs campus has been in development since 2004 with almost $1 billion raised in tax revenue for construction, according to Palm Springs city spokeswoman Amy Blaisdell.
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Four Coachella Valley High School students received scholarships from BNP Paribas and Bank of West. On Wednesday, the banks hosted a special event at Coachella Valley High School in Thermal to award its 6th Annual BNP Paribas Open scholarships to Samantha Campos, Fernando Ruiz-Chavez, Justin Garnica, and Lydia Rodriguez. The students are part of CVHS’
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The long-awaited expansion to College of the Desert’s Indio campus is moving forward. School officials announced that they will break ground on the project on March 14. A groundbreaking ceremony will be held on Monday, March 14 at 9:30 a.m. College and community leaders will turn the ceremonial first shovels of dirt for a three-story,
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Eight schools from the Palm Springs Unified School District are looking to teach students some valuable lessons based on the classic sitcom “I Love Lucy.” Teacher and owner of “Howling Hounds” entertainment, Bonnie Kole, created the program after using “I Love Lucy” episodes in her classroom for more than 25 years. Kole says the program
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Local high school students took the stage to compete in a Shakespeare competition in Palm Springs. Fourteen students from seven high schools took part in this regional competition. They performed well known sonnets by the bard. “I think that all the performances are doing great. And I wish them luck on all of their performances. And I hope
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An art teacher from Raymond Cree Middle School in Palm Springs has been named February’s One Class At A Time winner. After learning she was nominated by a friend and fellow teacher, Mrs. Ashley Bray said she “was honored” and “is happy” to be working as an educator here in the desert. Bray said she
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The City of Palm Springs is again raising concerns with the College of the Desert citing the need for transparency in all of its decision-making. An attorney for the city sent a letter to COD Tuesday. It noted what City Manager Justin Clifton called agenda irregularities with the college’s board of trustee meetings. The city’s letter also argued COD
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Proposed legislation in California would require all K-12 public schools to develop COVID-19 testing plans for students and staff and the funding for schools to do it, Sen. Richard Pan said in announcing it Tuesday. “It’s really important that schools know what’s going on in their school sites when it comes to COVID,” said Pan,
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After initially resisting county guidance regarding mask-wearing outdoors, the Los Angeles Unified School District on Tuesday will drop its COVID-19 mandate that students and staff wear face coverings while outside on campuses. Superintendent Alberto Carvalho made the announcement late Friday, posting revised district guidance online. The new rules state that “outdoor masking will be optional
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