NON-DISCRIMINATION
The Vista Unified School District prohibits discrimination, intimidation, harassment, and bullying based on actual or perceived race, color, ancestry, nationality, national origin, immigration status, ethnic group identification, ethnicity, age, religion, marital or parental status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, or any other legally protected status or association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.
Students are encouraged to report any instances of discrimination, harassment or bullying to school staff, including administrators, counselors, social workers or any other trusted adult. Students may also submit a report online through our Report It! PSST World.
For more information about complaint procedures relating to Non-Discrimination, please click HERE.
For questions or complaints related to employees, contact:
Rachel D’Ambroso, Assistant Superintendent of Human Relations,
1234 Arcadia Avenue Vista, CA 92084,
(760) 726-2170 ext 92202 | email: racheldambroso@vistausd.org or
For questions or complaints related to students, contact:
Sandra Ceja, Director of Student Support Services & Early Childhood Education,
1234 Arcadia Avenue Vista, CA 92084
(760) 726-2170 ext 92182 | email: sandraceja@vistausd.org
Resources:
EDUCATIONAL EQUITY (EE) AND ACCESS
Vista Unified School District is committed to Educational Equity and Anti-Racism. Our Governing Board has passed a Resolution 20-42 Reaffirming Commitment to Fight Racism and Board Policy 0415: Equity and we have adopted Administrative Regulation 0415: Equity.
All district staff participate in Anti-Bias and Trauma-Informed Practices professional development workshops and are engaged in Restorative Practices/Restorative Justice.
Our Superintendent’s Council for Equity and Anti-Racism includes a diverse group of staff, students, parents/guardians and community members who meet regularly to discuss and set the course of action for ongoing improvement in educational equity. For more information about the council, please click HERE.
Hate-motivated behavior is expressly prohibited amongst students and/or staff under Board Policy 5145.9: Hate-Motivated Behavior.
Hate-motivated behavior includes any behavior intended to cause emotional suffering, physical injury, or property damage through intimidation, harassment, bigoted slurs or epithets, force or threat of force, or vandalism motivated in part or in whole by bias or hostility toward the victim's real or perceived race, color, ancestry, nationality, national origin, immigration status, ethnic group identification, ethnicity, age, religion, marital status, pregnancy, parental status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, or genetic information, or any other characteristic identified in Education Code 200 or 220, Government Code 11135, or Penal Code 422.55
The District provides counseling, guidance, interventions and support to students who are victims of hate-motivated behavior and to students who exhibit such behavior. When appropriate, students who engage in hate-motivated behavior shall be disciplined, up to and including suspension or expulsion.
Students are encouraged to report any instances of discrimination, racism or hate-motivated behavior to school staff, including administrators, counselors, social workers or any other trusted adult. Students may also submit a report online through our Report It! PSST World.
For more information about our equity work or the Council contact:
Sandra Ceja, Director of Student Support Services & Early Childhood Education,
1234 Arcadia Avenue Vista, CA 92084
(760) 726-2170 ext 92182 | email: sandraceja@vistausd.org
Joan Faus, Coordinator Student Support Services,
1234 Arcadia Avenue Vista, CA 92084
(760) 726-2170 ext 92182 | email: joanfaus@vistausd.org
Resources:
TITLE IX: GENDER/SEX EQUITY
No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.
School districts are required to prominently post a definition of discrimination and harassment on the basis of sex and their policies and procedures for requiring reporting and addressing complaints of harassment and discrimination on the basis of sex. (EC Section 234.6) Harassment and other discrimination on the basis of sex include, but are not limited to, the following practices:
Exclusion, Discrimination, Harassment
- On the basis of sex, exclusion of a person or persons from participation in, denial of the benefits of, or subjection to harassment or other discrimination in, any academic, extracurricular, research, occupational training, or other program or activity
- On the basis of sex, provision of different amounts or types of student financial aid, limitation of eligibility for student financial aid, or the application of different criteria to applicants for student financial aid or for participation in the provision of student financial aid by others. Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to prohibit an educational institution from administering, or assisting in the administration of, scholarships, fellowships, or other forms of student financial aid, established pursuant to domestic or foreign wills, bequests, trusts, or similar legal instruments or by acts of a foreign government, which require that awards be made to members of a particular sex; provided, that the overall effect of the award of these sex-restricted scholarships, fellowships, and other forms of student financial aid does not discriminate on the basis of sex.
- On the basis of sex, harassment or other discrimination among persons, including, but not limited to, students and non-students, or academic and nonacademic personnel, in employment and the conditions thereof, except as it relates to a bona fide occupational qualification.
- On the basis of sex, the application of any rule concerning the actual or potential parental, family, or marital status of a person, or the exclusion of any person from any program or activity or employment because of pregnancy or related conditions.
Exclusion, Discrimination, Inequitable Access in Athletics
Athletes Bill of Rights Derechos de los Atletas
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On the basis of sex, exclusion from participation in, or denial of equivalent opportunity in, athletic programs. For purposes of this subdivision, “equivalent” means equal or equal in effect.
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An educational institution may be found to have effectively accommodated the interests and abilities in athletics of both sexes within the meaning of Section 4922 of Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations as that section exists on January 1, 2003, using any one of the following tests:
- Whether interscholastic level participation opportunities for male and female pupils are provided in numbers substantially proportionate to their respective enrollments.
- Where the members of one sex have been and are underrepresented among interscholastic athletes, whether the school district can show a history and continuing practice of program expansion that is demonstrably responsive to the developing interest and abilities of the members of that sex
- Where the members of one sex are underrepresented among interscholastic athletes, and the institution cannot show a history and continuing practice of program expansion as required in paragraph (2), whether the school district can demonstrate that the interest and abilities of the members of that sex have been fully and effectively accommodated by the present program.
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If an educational institution must cut its athletic budget, the educational institution shall do so consistently with its legal obligation to comply with both state and federal gender equity laws.
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It is the intent of the Legislature that the three-part test articulated in subdivision (d) be interpreted as it has been in the policies and regulations of the Office of Civil Rights in effect on January 1, 2003.
Competitive Athletics Data (for 2022-23 will be posted at the end of the school year)
For questions or complaints, contact Title IX Coordinator:
Rachel D’Ambroso, Assistant Superintendent of Human Relations,
1234 Arcadia Avenue Vista, CA 92084,
(760) 726-2170 ext 92202 | email: racheldambroso@vistausd.org or
Sandra Ceja, Director of Student Support Services & Early Childhood Education,
1234 Arcadia Avenue Vista, CA 92084
(760) 726-2170 ext 92182 | email: sandraceja@vistausd.org
Resources:
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Title IX Sexual Harassment Complaint Procedures can be found in Administrative Regulation 5145.71 Title IX Sexual Harassment Complaint Procedures (Students)
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The California Department of Education (CDE) provides additional information and resources related to gender equity and Title IX. To access these resources, please click HERE.
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For more information about the policies and procedures relating to Title IX Sexual Harassment, please click HERE.
SEXUAL HARASSMENT
The District is committed to maintaining a safe school environment that is free from harassment and discrimination. The Board prohibits sexual harassment and other discrimination on the basis of sex targeted at any student or employee by anyone. The District also prohibits retaliatory behavior or action against any person who reports, files a complaint or testifies about, or otherwise supports a complainant in alleging sexual harassment.
All employees are required to complete annual Sexual Harassment training and are mandated to report suspicion of any form of harassment, abuse and neglect they become aware of amongst students and/or adults.
Students are encouraged to report any instances of sex-based discrimination or sexual harassment to school staff, including administrators, counselors, social workers or any other trusted adult. Students may also submit a report online through our Report It! PSST World.
For sexual harassment questions or complaints related to employees, contact:
Rachel D’Ambroso, Assistant Superintendent of Human Relations,
1234 Arcadia Avenue Vista, CA 92084,
(760) 726-2170 ext 92202 | email: racheldambroso@vistausd.org or
For sexual harassment questions or complaints related to students, contact:
Sandra Ceja, Director of Student Support Services & Early Childhood Education,
1234 Arcadia Avenue Vista, CA 92084
(760) 726-2170 ext 92182 | email: sandraceja@vistausd.org
Resources:
LGBTQ+
All schools are expected to create school environment that are safe and free from discrimination for all students, regardless of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.
All students are permitted to participate in school programs and activities, including athletic teams and competitions, and use facilities in accordance with the student’s gender identity, regardless of the gender listed in their student records or the student’s assigned sex at birth. Gender includes a person’s gender-related appearance and behavior whether or not stereotypically associated with the person’s assigned sex at birth.
Name and Gender Changes
Aeries is considered a mandatory permanent student record which includes the legal name of the student and/or the student’s gender. If the district receives a legal name and/or gender change, Aeries will be updated accordingly.
Students may also request a name and/or gender change through a consultation with the school counselor or social worker to update all unofficial school records (e.g. attendance sheets, school IDs, report cards) to reflect the student’s name and gender marker that is consistent with the student’s gender identity.
Staff and students are required to address the student by a name and the pronouns consistent with the student’s gender identity, without the necessity of legal documentation or a change to the student’s official district record. Referring to a transgender student by the student’s chosen name and pronouns fosters a safe, supportive and inclusive learning environment. Intentional or persistent use of a student’s chosen name and pronouns creates a hostile learning environment, violates the student’s privacy rights, and increases that student’s risk for harassment by other members of the school community. The District will take action to investigate and implement appropriate corrective measures when incidents of this type of harassment are reported.
Students shall have access to the restroom and locker room that corresponds to their gender identity asserted at school. As an alternative, a “gender neutral” restroom or private changing area may be used by any student who desires increased privacy, regardless of the underlying reason, however, the use of such a “gender neutral” restroom or private changing area shall be a matter of choice for a student and no student shall be compelled to use such restroom or changing area.
Any student may be provided confidential access to a reasonable alternative locker room such as:
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Use of a private area in the public area of the locker room facility (i.e., a nearby restroom stall with a door, an area separated by a curtain, or a P.E. instructor’s office in the locker room).
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A separate changing schedule (either utilizing the locker room before or after the other students)
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Use of a nearby private area (i.e., a nearby restroom or a health office restroom).
Students are encouraged to report any instances of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression discrimination or hate-motivated behavior to school staff, including administrators, counselors, social workers or any other trusted adult. Students may also submit a report online through our Report It! PSST World.
For more information or support related to LGBTQ+ youth, please contact:
Joan Faus, Coordinator Student Support Services,
1234 Arcadia Avenue Vista, CA 92084
(760) 726-2170 ext 92182 | email: joanfaus@vistausd.org
Resources
SECTION 504 INFORMATION
Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (42 USC 12101, et seq.) prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability.
Section 504 requires school districts to identify and evaluate children with disabilities in order to provide them a free, appropriate public education (FAPE). Individuals with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, including seeing, hearing, walking, breathing, working, performing manual tasks, learning, eating, sleeping, standing, lifting, bending, reading, concentrating, thinking, speaking, are eligible to receive services and aids designed to meet their needs as adequately as the needs of non-disabled students are met.
Students who may be qualified as a "person with a disability" as that term is defined in 34 C.F.R. § 104.3 can be referred by a parent, teacher, school employee,*Student Success Team" (SST), or community agency, to the school 504 Coordinator.
Each school site has one or more 504 Coordinators who can work with parents/guardians throughout the process of qualification and services under Section 504. For more information about the policies and procedures relating to Section 504, please click HERE.
For district level questions or complaints, contact:
Sandra Ceja, Director of Student Support Services & Early Childhood Education, 1234 Arcadia Avenue Vista, CA 92084
(760) 726-2170 ext 92182 | email: sandraceja@vistausd.org
Resources for 504 and Special Education:
LANGUAGE ACCESS AND DEVELOPMENT
English language proficiency will not be a barrier to admission or participation in the District’s programs. Each school implements designated and integrated language development programs for students and Community Liaison staffing access to support home-school communication and parent/family engagement.
Our Multilingual Education Department oversees language development programs for students and parents/guardians, provides translation and interpretation services, and facilitates multilingual parent/guardian and community engagement opportunities. For more information about the services provided by the Multilingual Education Department, please click HERE.
For information or complaints, contact:
Rafael Olavide, Multilingual Education, 1234 Arcadia Avenue Vista, CA 92084
(760) 726-2170 ext 92111 | email: rafaelolavide@vistausd.org
Our Family And Community Engagement (FACE) lead oversees our network of Community Liaisons and implements high quality family and community engagement opportunities. For more information about the FACE Network, please click HERE.
For more information, contact:
Jacqueline “Kiki” Bispo, FACE Lead, 836 Olive Avenue Vista, CA 92083
(760) 726-2170 ext 92011 | email: jacquelinebispo@vistausd.org
Resources:
SUICIDE AWARENESS AND PREVENTION
Suicide is a leading cause of death among youth and other students and school personnel who regularly interact with students are often in a position to recognize the warning signs of suicide and to offer appropriate referral and/or assistance. In an effort to reduce suicidal behavior and its impact on students and families, the District has developed measures and strategies for suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention connected to Board Policy 5141.52: Suicide Prevention. (EC Section 234.6(b)(2))
Students are encouraged to report any instances of self-harm or suicidal thinking or behavior to school staff, including administrators, counselors, social workers or any other trusted adult. Students may also submit a report online through our Report It! PSST World.
#BeThe1To are the five action steps for communicating with someone who may be suicidal are supported by evidence in the field of suicide prevention.
Resources:
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VUSD Board Policy 5141.52: Suicide Prevention
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Suicide Prevention Resources for Students, Staff, Parents and Community Members: SDCOE
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National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-TALK (8255) The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides 24/7, free, and confidential support for people in distress, prevention, and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals. Find more specific resources here for youth, disaster survivors, Native Americans, veterans, loss survivors, LGBTQ+, attempt survivors, Deaf / hard of hearing / hearing loss, and ayuda en español.
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Crisis Line: 888-724-7240 (7 days a week, 24 hours a day)
Live chat Monday through Friday, 4 to 10 p.m.
TDD / TTY Dial 711
- San Diego Access and Crisis Line: Contact the San Diego Access and Crisis Line if you or someone you care about is experiencing a suicidal or mental health crisis and needs immediate help. Trained and experienced counselors are available to provide support, referrals, and crisis intervention. The call is free and confidential. If emergency medical care is needed, call 9-1-1 or go to the emergency room of the nearest hospital.
- Crisis Text Line: Text "HOME" to 741741 to reach a Crisis Counselor. Crisis Text Line serves anyone, in any type of crisis, providing access to free, 24/7 support via a medium people already use and trust.
- Boys Town Hotline: Boys Town Hotline can be reached at 800-448-3000. The Boys Town National Hotline is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and is staffed by specially trained Boys Town counselors. It is accredited by the American Association of Suicidology. Spanish-speaking counselors and translation services for more than 100 languages also are available 24 hours a day. People with speech and hearing impairments can contact them via email: hotline@boystown.org
- San Diego Warm Line: San Diego residents can call the San Diego Warm Line at 800-920-9276 or 619-295-1055. Available 7 days a week 4 to 11 p.m., except holidays.
- NAMI San Diego Family and Peer Support Helpline: The NAMI San Diego Family and Peer Support Helpline is 800-523-5933 or 619-543-1434. Contact the Helpline for any general information about support groups, register for classes, find resources, or speak to a friendly person who understands. The Helpline is available Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Survivors of Suicide Loss (SOSL): The Survivors of Suicide Loss (SOSL) Support Line is 619-482-0297 and has volunteers who are available to talk on the phone with you about your loss, confusion, frustration, anger, grief, or anything else you would like to talk about. SOSL also has a list of individual volunteers to call or email directly based on the type of loss (e.g., spouse, parent, child, etc.) Available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- The Trevor Project: The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) young people ages 13 to 24. TrevorLifeLine: 866-488-7386
- Trans Lifeline: Trans Lifeline (877-565-8860) is a hotline available in the U.S. and Canada staffed by transgender people for transgender people. Trans Lifeline is primarily for transgender people in a crisis, from struggling with gender identity to thoughts of self-harm. 7 days a week, 18 hours a day, 8 a.m. to 2 a.m.
- BlackLine: (800-604-5841) is a 24-hours a day, 7 days a week hotline geared towards the Black, Black LGBTQI, Brown, Native, and the Muslim community. However, no one will be turned away from this service. BlackLine is anonymous and confidential and can provide immediate crisis counseling to those who call upset, need to talk with someone immediately, or are in distress.
- Disaster Distress Helpline: The Disaster Distress Helpline provides crisis counseling and support for anyone in the U.S. experiencing distress or other behavioral health concerns related to any natural or human-caused disaster, including public health emergencies. Call 800-985-5990 or text "TalkWithUs" to 66746 to get started. The Helpline offers 24/7 emotional support and if you have any medical concerns speak to a trusted healthcare provider.
- 211 San Diego
- Mental Health America of San Diego County
- National Council for Behavioral Health
- San Diego County Behavioral Health Services
For more information or support for suicide awareness & prevention, please contact:
Joan Faus, Coordinator Student Support Services,
1234 Arcadia Avenue Vista, CA 92084
(760) 726-2170 ext 92182 | email: joanfaus@vistausd.org
BULLYING
The Board of Trustees desires to provide a safe school environment that protects students from physical and emotional harm and recognizes the harmful effects of bullying on student well-being, student learning, and school attendance.
Definition of Bullying California Ed Code 48900(r)(1):
“Bullying” means any severe or pervasive physical or verbal act or conduct, including communications made in writing or by means of an electronic act, and including one or more acts committed by a pupil or group of pupils as defined in Section 48900.2, 48900.3, or 48900.4, directed toward one or more pupils that has or can be reasonably predicted to have the effect of one or more of the following:
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Placing a reasonable pupil or pupils in fear of harm to that pupil’s or those pupils’ person or property.
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Causing a reasonable pupil to experience a substantially detrimental effect on the pupil’s physical or mental health.
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Causing a reasonable pupil to experience substantial interference with the pupil’s academic performance.
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Causing a reasonable pupil to experience substantial interference with the pupil’s ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or privileges provided by a school.
Definition of “Reasonable pupil” means a student including, but not limited to, a student with exceptional needs, who exercises average care, skill, and judgment in conduct for a person of that age, or for a person of that age with the pupil’s exceptional needs. [EC 48900(r)(3)]
Definition of “Electronic Act” means the creation or transmission originated at or away from school, using an electronic device, including, but not limited to, a telephone, wireless telephone, or other wireless communication device, computer, or pager, of a communication, that includes:
- A message, text, sound, video, or image.
- A post on a social network and/or internet website for the purpose of intimidating, humiliating, harassing, threatening or encouraging any type of emotional or physical harm on another person or interfering with a person’s right to a healthy and safe school experience , including but not limited to:
- Posting to or creating a burn page. “Burn page” means an internet website.
- Creating a credible impersonation of another actual person. “Credible impersonation” means to knowingly and without consent impersonate someone such that another person would reasonably believe, or has reasonably believed, that the person was or is the person who was impersonated.
- Creating a false profile). “False profile” means a profile of a fictitious person or a profile using the likeness or attributes of an actual person other than the person who created the false profile.
Possible forums for social media bullying include:
- Internet websites with free registration and ease of registration.
- Internet websites offering peer-to-peer instant messaging.
- Internet websites offering comment forums or sections.
- Internet websites offering image or video posting platforms.
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An act of cyber sexual bullying that has or can be reasonably predicted to have one or more of the following effects: intimidation, humiliation, harassment, threatening, encouraging or causing any type of emotional or physical harm on another person or interference with a person’s right to a healthy and safe school experience.
- “Cyber sexual bullying” means the dissemination of, or the solicitation or incitement to disseminate, a photograph or other visual recording by a person to another person by means of an electronic act.
- A photograph or other visual recording, as described here, shall include the depiction of a nude, semi-nude, or sexually explicit photograph or other visual recording of a minor where the minor is identifiable from the photograph, visual recording, or other electronic act.
- “Cyber sexual bullying” does not include a depiction, portrayal, or image that has any serious literary, artistic, educational, political, or scientific value or that involves athletic events or school-sanctioned activities.
An electronic act shall not constitute pervasive conduct solely on the basis that it has been transmitted on the internet or is currently posted on the internet.
Additionally our Board Policy 5030: Student Wellness recognizes that a safe, positive school environment is also conducive to students' physical and mental health and thus prohibits bullying and harassment of all students, including bullying on the basis of weight or health condition.
Students are encouraged to report any instances of threats, intimidation, harassment, and bullying to school staff, including administrators, counselors, social workers or any other trusted adult. Students may also submit a report online through our Report It! PSST World.
For district level questions or complaints, contact:
Sandra Ceja, Director of Student Support Services & Early Childhood Education,
1234 Arcadia Avenue Vista, CA 92084
(760) 726-2170 ext 92182 | email: sandraceja@vistausd.org
Resources:
STUDENTS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS
VUSD provides services and support for students experiencing homelessness, including unaccompanied youth through the McKinney-Vento program.
If you are a student living alone or with an adult other than your legal parent/guardian (unaccompanied youth), we can provide you with options to declare independent status or for a caregiver affidavit, as well as connect you with support and services.
Please come to or contact us at the Student Support Services Department:
Joan Faus, Coordinator Student Support Services, McKinney Vento Coordinator
1234 Arcadia Avenue Vista, CA 92084
(760) 726-2170 ext 92182 | email: joanfaus@vistausd.org
Resources:
FOSTER STUDENTS
Please come to or contact us at the Student Support Services Department:
Joan Faus, Coordinator Student Support Services, McKinney Vento Coordinator
1234 Arcadia Avenue Vista, CA 92084
(760) 726-2170 ext 92182 | email: joanfaus@vistausd.org
Resources:
Promoting Achievement and Student Success
The PASS AmeriCorps Program serves students in grades 3 through 12 at select schools in VUSD and across San Diego County.
Each PASS AmeriCorps member provides support for 30 targeted students through individual and group mentoring, academic support, grades and attendance reviews, leadership development, guest speakers, service learning projects, and parent outreach. Through their service with PASS, our AmeriCorps members are able to create positive change in our schools and communities.
UNIFORM COMPLAINT PROCEDURES (UCP)
VUSD provides annual notification to staff, students and parents/guardians regarding the process for submitting a complaint:
COMPENSATORY EDUCATION (CE)
The District publicizes a School Accountability Report Card SARC for each school, and parents or guardians of students can request a hard copy in their school office. (20 U.S.C. Section 6311[h][2][B][iii]; EC sections 35256[c], 35258.)