Sacramento, CA - On Thursday, November 30, the Sacramento City Unified School District was awarded a 2023 California School Board Association (CSBA) Golden Bell Award in the category of Equity and Access at San Francisco’s Union Square Hilton.

The honor reflects the positive community impact of SCUSD’s Facilities Master Plan, which also received the 2022 Leroy F. Greene Award of Excellence. 

SCUSD’s Facilities staff not only ensure that the physical environments of our schools are clean, safe, and welcoming, but that we also look at those sites and spaces through the lens of equity and environmental stewardship. Recent voter-approved Measure H bond funding provided SCUSD with $750M to address facilities modernization, maintenance, upgrades and rebuilds, yet a district-wide current need of $4.4B for our facilities means that our staff must make strategic decisions about how bond funding and other resources are allocated. 

“Facilities staff developed an instrument called Equity Indicators in our Facilities Plan to assess which schools have historically been left behind, and strive to level the playing field through an innovative approach in which we invest in our most marginalized neighborhoods,” said Lisa Allen, Interim Superintendent, Sacramento City Unified School District. 

“Our district’s investments mirror our commitment to uplift every student, embodying our core values. We prioritize schools aligning with our LCAP goals, ensuring support for students of diverse backgrounds – our students of color, those with disabilities, English language learners, foster youth, and homeless youth. Together, we build a future where every child thrives,” said Chinua Rhodes, Board of Education President, Sacramento City Unified School District.