The Willits Unified School District serves 1550 students in grades TK–12 from the City of Willits and surrounding areas. Committed to the small campus environment our district is composed of four traditional schools: Brookside Elementary (TK-2), Blosser Lane Elementary (3-5), Baechtel Grove Middle School (6-8), and Willits High School (9-12). In addition to our traditional schools our alternative programs offer students a variety of choices within our district’s governance: Sherwood Elementary (K-8), Sanhedrin Vocational Alternative High School (9-12), and New Horizons Independent Study (K-12).

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Dear Parent/Guardian,

I’m writing to share exciting news about upcoming changes at Willits Unified School District (WUSD). Since arriving in the area last summer, I’ve immersed myself in all things Willits—both school-related and community-related. I’ve spoken with students, families, staff, and community members to hear your concerns and hopes about WUSD; and I’ve used that (and my experience in education) to craft an improvement plan that includes every single school. I encourage you to visit www.willitsunified.com to view our 25-minute explanation video with a school-by-school summary of the plan. (The link in the left sidebar under “WUSD School Improvement Plan”).

Here’s a quick overview:

ELEMENTARY

At our K-5 elementary schools, Blosser and Brookside, we have three main goals: 1. Bringing students up to grade-level in reading, 2. Bringing students up to grade-level in math, and 3. Making school enjoyable for students. To reach these goals, we’ll implement a new language arts program called Benchmarks Curriculum and a new math program called Everyday Math. Students will be evaluated through a combination of teacher grading and external, standards-based assessments: DIBELS (dibels.org) for language arts and Delta Math (deltamath.org) for math. I’m enthusiastic about our new curriculum, and I hope we can encourage parents to participate in the classroom to help students reach their potential.

K-8

Sherwood School will expand from a K-5 to a K-8 school. While it offers the same curriculum as Blosser and Brookside in the early grades, Sherwood is a small, alternative school where students learn in a multi-age classroom environment. Students who excel at academics can easily be offered more challenging work, and those who are struggling are able to slow down and review challenging material—all within the same classroom. The supportive culture and high parent engagement allow students to take advantage of creative and exciting programs. It is important to note that Sherwood does not offer special education services. Next year, we’ll offer transportation to and from Sherwood School from Baechtel Grove Middle School and the Brooktrails Golf Course. Also, any middle school students who attend Sherwood will be able to participate in sports at Baechtel, if they choose to.

MIDDLE SCHOOL

At Baechtel Grove Middle School, we plan to help students and staff focus on high school readiness in a culture of learning and respect. Each grade level will progressively help students transition from elementary school to high school, both academically and from a social/emotional standpoint. Core classes such as math, language arts, science, and social studies will be taught in 60-minute periods, and exploratory classes (also called “electives”) will be taught in 40-minute periods. Exploratory classes will include art, music, and computers, among others. Each grade level will have its own lunch period and all students will have a bonus period at the end of the day to focus on their specific needs or interests—Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID), Read 180, English Language Development (ELD), Study Island, Odyssey of the Mind, and more. 

INDEPENDENT STUDY

Independent Study for elementary students, grades K-8, will run through Sherwood School and students in grades 9-12 will be incorporated into Willits High School as a school within a school. This allows students to work independently as well as take advantage of direct instruction at the high school. Independent Study students will be able to participate in all extra-curricular activities, including athletics.

ALTERNATIVE HIGH SCHOOL

Sanhedrin Alternative High School will transform into a vocational high school with the goal of having all students graduate with employable skills. Students will receive core instruction at Sanhedrin and be required to enroll in a Career Technical Education (CTE) program of their choosing at Willits High School.

COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL

Willits High School will adopt a trimester schedule, allowing students to take more electives and dig deeply into core subjects. A school day will consist of five 75-minute periods. Teachers will teach four classes a day and have a prep period. A trimester system allows struggling students to get quicker remediation and advanced students to have more time in Advance Placement classes. For more information about the trimester system, visit the website trimesters.org.

I’m really excited about this plan. We’ll adjust as we go, but we are definitely headed in the right direction. I know change is hard, especially for us adults, but I am confident that with your support and our excellent WUSD staff, Willits public schools can become some of the best in the county. If you have questions after viewing the School Improvement Plan video, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Sincerely,

Mark Westerburg, Superintendent