Welcome Back Letter from the Superintendent

Dear Arcadia Unified Families,

 

Welcome to the 2026-2027 school year! It is always exciting to begin a new year in Arcadia Unified and welcome our students, families, staff, and community back together.

 

This year, we are proud to introduce our district theme: Strong Foundations for Future Success.

 

A strong foundation is what allows us to grow, adapt, and thrive, even when the path ahead does not unfold exactly as we expect. Our students will experience challenges, successes, changes, and opportunities throughout their educational journeys. Our responsibility is not to create a path without obstacles, but to give them the foundation they need to navigate that path with confidence, resilience, and a strong sense of who they are.

 

That begins with meeting our students where they are. Every child enters our schools with different experiences, strengths, needs, and expectations. When students feel known, supported, and challenged, we build the trust and confidence they need to grow into their own version of success.

 

But strong foundations for our students are not built by our schools alone. They are built through the partnership of our families, educators, staff, and community. Arcadia Unified has long benefited from extraordinary support from our PTAs, parent organizations, Arcadia Educational Foundation, community partners, local organizations, and countless volunteers. That collective commitment to our students continues to be one of our greatest strengths.

 

This year, our theme also reflects the important work happening throughout our district. We are focused on strengthening the whole-child foundation our students need to succeed academically, socially, and emotionally. We remain committed to maintaining strong financial health and responsible stewardship of our resources so that the programs and opportunities our students rely on remain strong. And through Measure AS, we are beginning a historic investment in our school facilities that will create learning environments designed to serve Arcadia students for generations to come.

 

Another essential part of a strong foundation is trust and open communication between our schools and families. In any organization, questions, concerns, and misunderstandings will arise. What matters is that we have an established process for addressing them respectfully, effectively, and with the shared goal of finding a resolution.

 

Our Board Policy on communications, concerns, and complaints emphasizes resolution at the source. Simply put, concerns should be addressed as close to their origin as possible, beginning with the person or people directly involved. This allows those closest to the situation to hear concerns firsthand, provide context, answer questions, and work toward a timely resolution.

 

For example, if you have a concern about your child's classroom experience, we encourage you to begin with your child's teacher. From there, our established process provides additional levels of support when needed, including our principals, district administrators, and other support staff. As Superintendent, I remain committed to ensuring our families are heard and that concerns are addressed appropriately. Beginning closest to the source helps us preserve the direct, respectful communication that is foundational to strong relationships between home and school.

 

As Superintendent, I am incredibly proud of the community we have built together. Arcadia Unified's success has never been the result of one person, one program, or one accomplishment. It comes from generations of people who have invested in our schools and shared the belief that providing a world-class educational experience for our students is a community priority.

 

Now, it is our turn to continue building on that foundation.

 

Thank you for choosing to be part of the Arcadia Unified community and for the many ways you support our students and schools. I look forward to another wonderful year together as we continue building Strong Foundations for Future Success.

 

Wishing you and your family a successful and rewarding 2026-2027 school year!

 

In Gratitude,

David Vannasdall, Ed.D.

Superintendent 

Arcadia Unified School District

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