By SDCN Staff
San Diego, CA–The San Diego Unified School District is revising its approach to how it communicates important information to students’ families.
Since the start of the 2025-26 school year, the district has revamped the homepage of SanDiegoUnified.org to feature grade-level information streams; five new Area A-E targeted weekly newsletters; and a new “Family Resource Guide to San Diego Unified.”
“We are constantly working to improve the way we communicate with our families and students,” said Superintendent Fabi Bagula, Ph.D. San Diego Unified School District. “Our team received feedback from families on the types of information that are more useful to them, and with these latest improvements, we are starting to get them the information they need in more formats that are easier to access. We have more work to do, but we’re off to a good start.”
The “Family Resource Guide to San Diego Unified” was developed to put information families need at their fingertips in one place. It is available in English, Spanish, Filipino, Somali, and Vietnamese. It includes topics such as tips for new families, information about student wellness, before- and after-school programs, school nutrition programs, statistics and facts about the district, tools to receive district updates, a helpful list of acronyms spelled out, and detailed information about the legal rights of students and families.
“The Family Resource Guide is a tool for existing families, those who are new to the district, and families who are thinking about sending their children to our schools,” said Superintendent Bagula. “In the coming years, we expect it will evolve and change to better meet the needs of our families, but this is the start.”
Families have long said the information the district office was sharing on its website and through its weekly newsletter was not always relevant to their child, so the district went to work to improve how it shares information by updating its website to include “grade level” information streams for families to access easily through their school website or the district website. Posts made in each of the three information streams are curated based on grade level – TK-5th, 6th-8th, and 9th-12th – but there is some post-overlap for different grade levels.
“At San Diego Unified Council of PTAs, we believe strong schools are built through strong partnerships with families. Timely and accessible communication helps parents feel informed, confident, and ready to participate actively in their children’s education,” said Veri Chavari, President, San Diego Unified Council of PTAs. “The Family Resource Guide is a step toward ensuring every family—regardless of background or language—has the tools they need to engage meaningfully with their school and district. When we build parent capacity, we strengthen our entire community.”
Similar to website updates, the district is taking a new approach with its weekly newsletter to families. Instead of sending a single newsletter with generic information about district news coverage, which was often in the past, the district is now sending targeted newsletters to each of the 5 Areas – A, B, C, D, E – in an effort to provide more useful information to families, and target some content to families who have children who attend schools in that area.
On November 16, San Diego Unified School District Board of Education Trustees Shana Hazan and Sabrina Bazzo will bring forward resolutions during their regular meeting in support of Family/Parent Involvement Day on November 20 to reinforce the school district’s commitment to involving parents in their child’s educational journey.
