The following is the Sept. 13 edition of the Abridged by PBS KVIE Homeroom email newsletter, by reporter Savannah Kuchar. Want it se.nt directly to your inbox? Sign up here.
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A weekly email with news and insights into Sacramento area schools and how it impacts your students.
Welcome back to Homeroom!
There was a bit of a theme to the stories coming out of this past week: Enrollment numbers.
And while it might sound like a basic or boring subject, stick with me. It’s everything to school districts. Knowing how many students they currently have to serve and how many they can expect in the next few years shapes financial decisions, school calendars, construction goals, etc.
It’s fascinating, too, how neighboring school districts can be a real tale of two cities. One is booming, while the other is shrinking. It’s not always easy to explain the reasons for the differences.
You can find more on the topic of enrollment below, along with a slice of student life, events for the family and more.
Take a seat! It’s Homeroom.
READY FOR THE WEEK AHEAD?
Education, parenting and other relevant stories from the Sacramento region you may have missed this week.
📉 San Juan Unified in eastern Sacramento County was prepared for 300 fewer students this year. The drop was closer to 1,200, and officials are still trying to figure out what happened. Read more here.
💵 Sacramento City Unified leaders struck a new deal with their teachers union and revealed substantially more optimistic projections for the next couple years. County officials, who have the power to overturn the district’s decisions, have raised concerns about the math. Here’s the details.
🚫 And in case you missed it last week, the Sacramento County elections division halted the recent effort to recall Twin Rivers Unified school board member Sascha Vogt. Teachers union members say they plan to try again. Read the latest.
What else is in today’s newsletter?
Cities in Placer County continue to boom, and school officials are working to keep up.
And a student in Davis shares how he got started with his local coffee business.
HOMEROOM HIGHLIGHT
Placer County school enrollment is on the rise, unlike most of California
School district leaders say they have been planning for the influx for a while.
BY SAVANNAH KUCHAR | skuchar@kvie.org
In short: New data shows the student population in Placer County is expected to swell in the next decade, among the highest increases in the state. That’s opposite what most districts in the region and across California are bracing for. Certain school districts, namely in Roseville and Lincoln, are responsible for the bulk of that anticipated growth.
A bit more: The districts that are on track for the biggest increases say rising enrollment is preferable to decline. But it still comes with challenges and a need for creative planning.
It’s a routine question on the car ride home or sitting around the dinner table. I want to hear more than “fine” from students across the region: How was school? What did you learn? Did something interesting happen?
Harvey Uyeyama, a senior at Davis Senior High School, reached out to highlight his specialty coffee start-up.
| “I started Harvey’s Coffee in Davis in 2024 with my dad. He died that summer, and I kept roasting. I run the business now with my co-founder and girlfriend Abby Merchant.
We roast and ship single-origin coffee beans in small batches to nearly 100 active subscribers. Every month we source a new coffee and let our drinkers taste what good specialty coffee should be.”
Parents, feel free to share any tidbits from your student about their day by sending me a message at skuchar@kvie.org.
FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY
Things to do with (or without!) the kids this week.
🍻 Urban Roots Brewing in Sacramento is kicking off Oktoberfest starting Friday, Sept. 18. Dress in costume for a free pretzel. “Weenie dog races” run starting 10 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 20. It’s free to watch the dachshund dash. More information is available here.
🍂 Fall Family Fest is Saturday, Sept. 19, in Roseville’s Vernon Street Town Square and Royer Park. The all-ages, free event runs 2-5 p.m. and features live performances, bounce houses, treats and other activities. Find the details here.
🧘♂️ Check out a family-friendly introduction to yoga Sunday, Sept. 20, at Promontory Park in El Dorado Hills. Yoga at the Park starts at 9 a.m. The event is free, but preregistration is required. More information here.
Want an event to be featured in our next newsletter? Submit it to our community events calendar here.
A STORY TO SHARE
News isn’t just for the adults — each week, I’ll highlight a piece from myself or one of my colleagues that you can share with the student in your life. Hopefully they can find interest or insight in the hyperlocal, community-focused stories. To fuel conversation, check the discussion prompt below.
In this piece, Senior Correspondent Rob Stewart brings us the powerful story of Richard Hannaford, who survived the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
I was born in 2000, so a post-9/11 world is all I’ve ever really known. That’s the case too for today’s students, born years after the fateful day.
Most American adults have a 9/11 story. They remember where they were and what they were doing that day. For anyone who wasn’t there and can’t remember firsthand, Rob’s story offers a glimpse into how tragedy shaped people like Hannaford and impacted the country as a whole.
📝 Discussion prompt: For any young person born after 2001, how did Hannaford’s story move you? What have you learned about that day, and was there anything new to you in this piece?
Your feedback is always welcome and appreciated. Reach out anytime.
