Board of Education

Lodi USD Community:

Thank you, fellow Board Members, for giving me the honor of serving as Board President this year. I know we have many challenging issues and I thank Mr. Nava for his leadership. I also thank my Board colleagues for their dedicated efforts to thoughtfully consider and discuss critical issues before making decisions. I want to assure our community that we will continue to commit the time, effort, and energy needed to serve as trustees.

As we start this new year of Board service, I want to share my priorities as President.

Currently, our number one priority is to bring students and staff back to our campuses for in-person instruction. We know there are many complex issues surrounding this effort, but I am confident that we can work out the real issues and eliminate the distractors. I also know that when students do come back to schools, many will need additional academic and social-emotional support.

As a District, we must develop systemic procedures to identify and meet student needs. We also know that some students excelled with distance learning and we will take our learnings from this experience to improve our programs for all students. I applaud staff’s efforts to keep our focus areas on Reading by Third Grade and Preparing Students for Secondary Math. District staff has done amazing work.

Coming back to an in-person format is a long-anticipated transition and one that will require extra care in determining the needs of each student. I want Lodi USD to have a renewed focus on student success for students to master grade level standards and feel connected to school.

Fiscal Solvency

The state budget environment and declining enrollment are surfacing as major concerns. We are relieved that we were able to avoid budget reductions for this school year and next school year appears to be stable because of the Board’s continued diligence with fiscal matters. 

However, there is a strong possibility that in preparing for the 2022-23 school year, we will need to make significant changes. The planning starts now since a negative certification from the county office of education or state receivership will drastically reduce this Board’s ability to provide services for our students. As President, I want to make sure that we are well prepared in advance and we do all we can to keep as many services in place for students as possible. We will closely watch the developments of the Governor’s proposed budget and vigorously advocate for increased public-school funding. 

Working Together

Throughout this year, we have experienced extremely difficult situations including, but not limited to, the health pandemic. Members of our Lodi USD family have expressed differing views on serious issues. We all enjoy the rights we have to express our opinions, share ideas, and engage in debate. I want to ensure that each person feels comfortable sharing their views, and that all views are expressed in an appropriate and respectful manner.

As a District, we can get through these challenges by working together. We will seek our community’s opinions through surveys, focus groups, committees, and opportunities to address the Board. You can be assured that with each issue this Board will listen, carefully consider, and make decisions based on what is best for our students.

Our kids not being in school because of a global pandemic, combined with a fiscal perfect storm of declining enrollment, deferrals from the state, and deficit spending would seem to be an impossible challenge for the Lodi Unified School District. Hope is on the horizon. New vaccines are becoming available. The Governor’s proposed budget has positive elements for education. Our biggest resource, though, remains the talented people in our District, who already have overcome unthinkable and insurmountable challenges, and who, working together with this Board, are ready, willing, and able to provide all of our students with the exceptional and outstanding educational experience they so richly deserve.

I look forward to the year ahead and thank you for this opportunity to serve all our Lodi Unified stakeholders, and especially this Board and our children.

Ron Freitas, Board President

Lodi USD Board of Education

• Board Member Directory
• Board Governance Handbook
• Board Member Areas - School Representation
• Board Member Area Map
• Calendar of Regular Meetings
• Electronic School Board
• Mission, Vision, and Goals - English
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• Public Request for a Board Agenda Item

Members:

• Ron Freitas
• Ron Heberle
• Susan Macfarlane