Verde Elementary School in West Contra Costa Unified School District. Photo: EdSource
By Louis Freedberg, EdSource.org, republished with permission
Top Takeaways
- Raising attendance would improve student outcomes and help the district achieve a balanced budget.
- The district will focus on boosting attendance of all students, not just those who are “chronically absent,” using a range of attendance-improvement strategies.
- Improving attendance will require an investment of funds and offering incentives, experts say.
To boost student attendance, the West Contra Costa Unified School District has launched a comprehensive plan to increase attendance by 2 percentage points this school year.
The plan will be reviewed by the school board at its meeting on Wednesday.
The challenge is in part an educational one. If students aren’t in class, they’re far less likely to succeed. It is also a financial strategy that is crucial to the district’s attempts to fend off insolvency and a state takeover for the second time in 30 years.
That’s because the main source of state funding for schools in California is based not just on how many students are enrolled, but on how many students actually show up each day for class.
But bumping up attendance, even by a few percentage points, is not as easy as it might seem, regardless of the district.
So what happens in this 29,000-student district in the San Francisco Bay Area, which includes Richmond and several adjacent communities, also holds lessons for numerous other financially struggling districts in California and nationally.
According to interim Superintendent Kim Moses, the math is simple: For every 1 percentage point increase in attendance, the district can raise $2.75 million in additional state funding.
Raising attendance by nearly 3 percentage points would generate over $7 million — about the same amount the district is projecting it will have to reduce its budget during each of the coming two years to achieve a balanced budget.
“It’s the biggest lever that we have,” board President Leslie Reckler, who is fully behind the attendance strategy to avert even more cuts in programs and staff than the district has already made, said in an interview. “We get paid by who shows up.”
Moses told the school board at a recent meeting, “If we are successful in increasing our attendance, that is a way to increase revenue. Then we can rescind the reductions we are proposing.”
Until now, the district’s attendance improvement plan has focused on “chronically absent” students — those who miss 10% or more instructional days per year. That has yielded results, pushing overall attendance rates in the district to 92.3% last fall, just below the state average.
But over the last few months, attendance rates in the district have started to drift down again, to 89.5% in February, according to district figures.
Natalie Tovani-Walchuk, vice president of local impact for Go Public Schools, an advocacy organization working in several Bay Area school districts, including West Contra Costa, speculates that some of the decline could be related to illnesses — the flu, Covid, norovirus and RSV — that simultaneously struck the district in recent months. It could also be that some immigrant parents fear bringing their children to school because of the Trump administration’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants.
“All of this creates conditions which you can’t control,” said Tovani-Walchuck, a former school principal born and raised in Richmond.
Aiming to boost attendance of all students
After initially focusing on chronically absent students, the district is now aiming to boost the attendance of all students, and to focus on schoolwide attendance-improvement strategies, including:
- Targeting schools with the lowest attendance and developing “individualized action plans” for those schools.
- Expecting schools to implement activities that reinforce positive attendance habits, such as recognizing students whose attendance improves and working more closely with families “to build stronger connections between school and home.”
- Helping schools use a toolkit developed by the district, including prepared scripts in communicating with parents, along with “action plans” for targeting lagging attendance to promote “Stronger Together: Show Up, Rise Up,” the theme of the attendance campaign.
- Recruiting more parents, representatives of community-based organizations and community members to participate in the district’s Student Attendance Review Board, to which students who are repeatedly absent or truant can be referred.
But Michael Fine, CEO of the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team, an agency set up by the state to help districts in difficult financial straits, said, “There is a limit to how much improvement in attendance can be made.”
A year ago, his agency issued a report concluding that, despite financial and other improvements, West Contra Costa faced a high risk of insolvency.
A realistic goal, Fine said, would be to increase attendance by 1 percentage point each year over the next three years. He pointed out that the district will probably have to spend money on extra staff time and incentives to generate interest among students, parents and schools.
“Programs like this cost money, so you have to spend to be successful,” Fine said.
Fine recalls that when he was a deputy superintendent at Riverside Unified, the district persuaded local businesses to award a used car to high school seniors who achieved perfect attendance across their entire K-12 careers, or other incentives like computers and bicycles for meeting less ambitious goals. His district spent about $250,000 a year on the program, but generated $1.2 million in increased attendance revenue.
Increasing attendance is especially challenging because there are many reasons why students don’t show up for school, all detailed in a presentation to be considered by the board at its monthly meeting this week. These include lack of transportation, illness, parent work schedules, child care constraints, and students feeling disengaged, unsupported and bored at school, plus, in some cases, severe mental health issues.
As a result, any initiative to reduce absenteeism demands a range of strategies to address its underlying causes.
Hedy Chang, executive director of Attendance Works, a nonprofit organization focusing on attendance, said West Contra Costa Unified appears to be on the right track by surveying parents and identifying why individual students don’t come to school. Another plus, she said, is the district’s creation of so-called community schools, which already work with social service organizations that can also help.
“It looks like the district has some things in place,” she said. But she also cautioned that schools with large numbers of low-income students, like many in West Contra Costa, will likely experience higher absenteeism rates and have to come up with multifaceted responses to overcome them.
Verde Elementary school secretary Victoria Farías, who attended the school as a student, assists with keeping track of attendance. Credit: Louis Freedberg, EdSource
Building positive relationships with parents
The district says one school that has made notable strides is Verde Elementary, a community school serving transitional kindergarten through eighth grade students in North Richmond, an unincorporated area of the district.
The efforts of Martha Nieto, Verde’s “school community outreach worker,” have been central to the school’s efforts to boost attendance.
Nieto, a mother of six who was born in Mexico, says that a key to getting kids to school is building positive relationships with parents. Each day, the school systematically records which students are absent. Attendance clerk Patricia Martines then calls parents’ homes, sometimes with the assistance of school secretary Patricia Farias, who attended the school and still lives in the neighborhood.
Each Friday, Nieto offers what she calls a “School Smarts” class for parents to learn how to get involved in the school. As for students, Nieto provides incentives to improve attendance with modest gifts like a soccer ball, or free ice cream or nachos, which she also hands out on Friday mornings. Students with perfect attendance are awarded medals at “Celebration of Learning” events held regularly in the school cafeteria.
The challenge, Go Public Schools’ Tovani-Walchuk says, is to extend efforts like these across the entire district.
“These are moments of real strength, and we’re seeing what is truly possible,” she said, referring to Verde Elementary. “But it has not been yet systematized where every school has their school community outreach worker doing this work. That’s really determined site by site, depending on its priorities.”
School board member Demetrio Gonzalez-Hoy says that in addition to boosting the attendance of existing students, there needs to be more emphasis on attracting new ones to the district. That’s because the district’s financial plight is largely due to student enrollment that has declined by an average of 3.1 percentage points over the previous four years, according to the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team report.
“It has to be a two-pronged approach,” he said. “We need to get families moving into our community to come to our schools. We don’t want to be a place where we have to be closing schools.”
“If we want to continue to thrive as a district, we have no other option,” he said.
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Held on $4.2 million bail
Search warrants served in Antioch, Pleasant Hill
Multiple arrests since 2021
By Concord Police Department
On Monday morning, April 14, 2025, around 3:00 A.M., Concord Police Department patrol officers, working in the area of Monument Blvd. near Meadow Lane, heard gunshots being fired. At the same time, CPD dispatch received several 911 calls regarding gunshots being heard in the vicinity. Officers responded to investigate and located a forty-year-old male gunshot victim, later identified as Omar Gonzalez, lying on the ground near the intersection of Monument Blvd. and Reganti Drive. He was pronounced deceased at the scene. Concord Police Department Major Crimes Unit detectives responded.
Detectives were able to identify Chance Martin, a 27-year-old (born 4/14/98) male resident of Pittsburg, as the suspect in the murder. It is believed that Martin had been involved in a dispute in the parking lot of 1500 Monument Blvd. with a group of males, had left in a vehicle, and then returned a short time later and shot multiple times, from the window of his vehicle, at the group of people with whom he had previously been arguing. One the bullets he fired struck and killed Gonzalez. A warrant was obtained for Martin’s arrest.
On Wednesday, April 16, Concord Police Department detectives, with the assistance of the United States Marshals Service Fugitive Apprehension Task Force, Pleasant Hill Police Department, and Antioch Police Department, served search warrants in Pleasant Hill and Antioch. Martin was located, arrested, and later booked at the Martinez Detention Facility.
Today, Concord Police Department detectives presented their case to the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office, who filed murder charges (187 PC) against Martin, who will remain in custody.
Anyone with further information regarding this case is asked to contact Concord Police Department Major Crimes Unit Detective Justin Wilson at (925) 603-5859 or the Concord Police Department tip line at (925) 603-5836.
According to the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Department, the five-foot, 10-inch tall, 135-pound Chance is being held on $4.2 million bail and his next court appearance is scheduled for May 6 at 8:30 AM in Superior Court, Martinez.
According to localcrimenews.com, he has a history of arrests since 2021 by Antioch, Pleasant Hill and san Pablo Police Departments and CHP-Contra Costa, including for gun charges and driving on a suspended license.
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
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Tommy Ray Vance (top left), Anthony Robert Mozingo (top right) and Sheldon Devin Ludd (bottom) arrested during ICAC Task Force operation. Photos: Brentwood PD
Two out of custody with no charges filed; multi-agency effort
By Brentwood Police Department
Earlier this month, the Brentwood Police Department hosted the Contra Costa County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force for a multi-agency, week-long operation focused on identifying and apprehending individuals seeking to sexually exploit minors online.
This proactive operation brought together 12 law enforcement agencies and dedicated hundreds of investigative hours to targeting those intending to harm children. The results of the operation included:
- 3 arrests
- seizure of digital devices and firearms
- a safer community—which remains our ultimate goal
Arrested during the operation:
- 48-year-old Tommy Ray Vance of Brentwood (see details in related article)
- 29-year-old Anthony Robert Mozingo of Elk Grove
- 29-year-old Sheldon Devin Ludd of Sacramento
We remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting the most vulnerable members of our community. We extend our sincere appreciation to the following agencies for their collaboration and support:
Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office, FBI, Oakley PD, Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, Antioch PD, Contra Costa County MCTF, Martinez PD, Walnut Creek PD, Homeland Security Investigations, Contra Costa Probation Department, and the United States Secret Service.
According to the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office, as of April 14 Mozingo is out of custody with no charges filed and as of April 15, Ludd is also out of custody with no charges filed.
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
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Tommy Vance was arrested with a cache of illegal firearms and ammunition. Photos: Brentwood PD
High school football referee
By Brentwood Police Department
As part of a recent week-long operation led by the Contra Costa County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force—hosted by the Brentwood Police Department in collaboration with 11 additional agencies—significant progress was made in safeguarding children from online exploitation.
During the operation, Brentwood PD Detectives, working alongside a Martinez PD Detective, arrested 48-year-old Tommy Ray Vance of Brentwood (born 12/19/76) on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. Vance had allegedly arranged to meet a minor for the purpose of engaging in lewd and lascivious acts.
Following his arrest, Detectives obtained a search warrant for Vance’s residence, which resulted in the recovery of over 15 illegally possessed firearms. Vance, a convicted felon, was taken into custody on charges including:
- Arranging a meeting with a minor for lewd purposes
- Contacting a minor for sex
- Prohibited person in possession of a firearm
- Possession of an assault weapon
(and other related charges)
Detectives also confirmed that Vance is a high school football referee.
We are releasing Vance’s photo in order to identify any potential victims. If you have any information or believe you may have had contact with him, please contact the Brentwood Police Department at 925-809-7911. Callers may remain anonymous.
According to the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Department, the six-foot tall, 230-pound Vance is being held in the West County Detention Facility on no bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for May 5 at 8:30 AM in Superior Court, Martinez.
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
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Source: Recall of District Attorney Diana Becton
Organizers can begin gathering signatures
By Allen D. Payton
The organizers for the effort to recall Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton announced on Friday the Contra Costa Elections office approved their petition. They can now begin gathering signatures following a press conference this Saturday, April 26.
“We are pleased to announce that our recall petition has received approval today, Friday, April 18, 2025. As stated in the email with the official letter we received, we need a total of 72,556 valid signatures. The reviewing body has 60 business days from the filing date to assess the petition and verify that the necessary number of voters have signed it. All completed petitions must be submitted by 5:00 PM on Thursday, September 25, 2025, which is 160 days from the notice date.
“If the petition meets the required standards, the elections official will certify the results to the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors upon completing the review. The Board of Supervisors is required to order an election within 14 days following their meeting. Should the Board fail to issue this order within the specified timeframe, the Registrar of Voters will set the election date within 5 days.
“The election will take place no sooner than 88 days and no later than 125 days after the order is issued. However, it may also occur within 180 days of the order if it can be coordinated with a regularly scheduled election.
“The recall organizers have decided to hold a press conference and the first day of signing on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at 5 PM. This event will take place at Alexis Gabe’s memorial bench located at 3231 Main St., Oakley, CA, just outside city hall. They believe it is important to celebrate this momentous occasion with the many supporters who have been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to sign the petition.
“Please confirm your attendance. For any questions or further information, feel free to contact us via email at recalldianabecton@gmail.com or info@recalldianabecton.org. We look forward to seeing you there.
Sincerely,
The Recall District Attorney Diana Becton Team”
(See related articles here and here)
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During multi-agency traffic enforcement in morning commute hours
28-year-old Dejon Brandy already out of custody with no charges filed
By Oakley Police Department
On April 15, 2025, Oakley PD’s Traffic Unit participated in a multi-agency traffic enforcement campaign on Highway 4 with officers from Antioch Police, Brentwood Police, Hercules Police, Pittsburg Police and Richmond Police Departments.
At 7:35AM Oakley Officer B. Jackson saw a GMC Yukon with no rear license plate on Westbound 4 approaching Bailey Road, Officer Jackson tried to stop the driver via his lights and siren, but the driver failed to yield; a pursuit was started. The Yukon’s driver fled on the shoulder of Highway 4 and took the Bailey Road offramp. The driver ran a red light at Bailey Road and Canal Road in Bay Point and collided with an occupied vehicle. The Yukon driver continued to flee towards Willow Pass Road where he went eastbound towards Pittsburg. The driver turned onto southbound Railroad Avenue and entered the eastbound lanes of Highway 4 going westbound. Pursuit of the driver came to an end there due to the dangers associated with wrong way driving.
The Yukon’s driver exited at Bailey Road going the wrong way. The driver was seen getting out of the SUV and running to a nearby Burger King. Several traffic enforcement campaign officers, along with CHP – Contra Costa officers and Contra Costa Sheriff’s deputies, converged on the area and detained the driver, identified as Dejon Brandy (male, 28) of San Francisco. The occupants of the vehicle Brandy collided with were treated for injuries sustained from the collision. Officers determined the Yukon was stolen.
Oakley Police Chief Paul Beard said, “The officers participating in the multi-agency traffic enforcement campaign were primarily focusing on safety issues related to commute driving to ensure our local commuters exercise safe driving habits.
“This case goes to show crime, and criminals, exist everywhere (even when people are just trying to get to work to support their families) and it is a sad part of our everyday life. I am grateful to all of the officers who took part in this arrest, as they clearly removed a dangerous criminal from society and incarcerated him where he cannot steal from people or hurt innocent people just conducting daily life matters. I hope the people who were injured in this incident receive the care they need and make a full recovery.
Stay safe Oakley.”
According to the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office, as of 8:14 PM on Thursday, April 17, Brandy was out of custody with no charges filed.
According to localcrimenews.com Brandy was also arrested for receiving stolen property – motor vehicle theft in San Francisco on April 4, 2025.
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
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Photo: Brentwood PD
Has history of arrests dating back to 2014
By Brentwood Police Department
On April 8, 2025, at approximately 2:30 AM, a Brentwood officer was patrolling the area of Lone Tree Way and Jeffrey Way when he observed a vehicle driving with expired registration.
The driver and passenger were identified as 48-year-old Michael G. Silence of Oregon and 35-year-old Amber Silence of Olivehurst. While speaking with the driver, another officer on scene noticed a gun case in the front passenger area of the vehicle.
A loaded firearm was located inside the vehicle, which was later confirmed to be stolen from another county.
Michael, a convicted felon, was arrested for being in possession of a stolen firearm and other related charges. Amber was also arrested for possession of drugs and additional related offenses. Both were transported to the Martinez Detention Facility for booking.
This arrest highlights the vigilance and proactive efforts of our patrol officers, who continue working day and night to keep illegal firearms and drugs off our streets.
According to localcrimenews.com, Silence has a history of arrests dating back to 2014 by the Sheriff’s Departments of Yuba and Shasta counties for crimes including gun, ammunition and drug possession.
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
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Kenneth David McIsaac mugshot. Source: Lafayette PD
Kenneth McIsaac used replica gun to rob neighbors, hold captive for five hours until subdued
Referred to mental health treatment facility in 2023 but fled, rearrested
By Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office
On March 27, 2025, a Contra Costa County jury convicted 34-year-old Kenneth David McIsaac (born 12/20/90) on multiple felony charges, related to a home invasion incident involving a Lafayette family.
The conviction stems from a September 24, 2022, incident in Lafayette. As a mother and her children returned from the community pool in their apartment complex, McIsaac, who was also a resident at the same complex, followed them into their unit, shut the door and announced he was there to rob them. He lifted his shirt to reveal what appeared to be a firearm, later found to be a replica.
The mother called for her husband, who entered the living room. McIsaac forced the family to sit on the floor, retrieved kitchen knives, and handed the mother duct tape to bind her husband and children before binding her himself. For over five hours, he held the family captive and threatened to kill the parents in front of the children.
Through will and determination, the husband was able to free himself from his bindings. When McIsaac returned to the living room, the husband fought back, ultimately subduing the intruder long enough for the rest of the family to escape and seek help.
In August 2023, McIsaac was referred to Mental Health Court for diversion — despite objections from the District Attorney’s Office. He was accepted and released to a treatment facility — but fled in October.
Law enforcement apprehended him on November 14th.
McIsaac was convicted by a jury on multiple felony charges, including:
- Two counts of kidnap to commit robbery
- Two counts of kidnapping for ransom
- Multiple counts of first-degree residential robbery
- Felony child abuse
- False imprisonment
- Criminal threats
Additionally, the jury found true enhancements for the use of a deadly weapon in 12 of the 13 charges.
District Attorney Diana Becton stated: “This verdict holds Kenneth McIsaac accountable for the harm he caused this family. His conviction sends a strong message that violent crimes of this nature will not be tolerated in Contra Costa County.”
McIsaac is scheduled to be sentenced on June 6th by Judge Mary Ann O’Malley in Martinez. He faces a potential life sentence.
According to localcrimenews.com, the six-foot, three-inch tall, 190-pound McIsaac was also arrested in October 2020 by Oakland Police for battery with serious Bodily injury and elder or dependent adult abuse.
According to the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Department, he is being held in the Martinez Detention Facility on no bail.
Case # 01-22-01678 | The People of the State of California vs. McIsaac, Kenneth David
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
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Reminder!! Get ready for that shred-it time of year! Tri Delta Transit in partnership with the City of Antioch, City of Oakley and others, brings you the annual drive-thru Shred-It Event on Thursday, April 24th in Oakley.
Get out those papers and remove all large binder clips, plastic ring binding, bindings, binders and heavy folders. Event starts at 9:00 AM and is first come, first served until the trucks are full!
BE READY TO DRIVE UP AND HELP OUT
This is a drive-up event where you will enter at the Cypress driveway, wait in line in your vehicle (turn off car if can), then drive up to the truck.
Helpers will indicate which truck you are to pull up to.
Once you stop where the helpers tell you, please exit your vehicle safely. Give the helpers your shredding or indicate where your shredding is and which ones they are. Once the helpers review the materials, they will dump them into a bin for shredding.
If you want to watch your shredding be shredded, please let the helper know. You will need to pull your car over, exit the vehicle and walk to the far side of the truck to watch with the Shred-It employee.
ALL BAGS AND BOXES the shredding is brought it, must be taken away with you.
Unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to keep it and dispose of it.
Cars will not be allowed to line up until all safety cones and precautions are in place.
Event is first come, first serve until the trucks are full.
Keep in mind that this could be anytime after 9:00 am. If large loads come, the trucks will reach capacity quickly.
If the truck is full, you will be asked to take all shredding home with you.
All bags, boxes and containers that you bring your shredding in, MUST be taken back with you.
For more information visit Community Drive Thru Shred-It Event -Tri Delta Transit.
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Featuring latest innovations in transportation technology
San Ramon, Calif.- The Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) will host the 10th annual Redefining Mobility Summit (RMS) in San Ramon on Tuesday, April 22. RMS, which started in 2015, has grown from a regional meeting to a global gathering of government, industry, and international (from Finland to Japan among others) transportation leaders. The day-long summit features interactive sessions and dynamic and virtual-reality demonstrations of how cutting-edge technology is paving the way for the future of transportation.
CCTA’s Executive Director, Tim Haile, will present awards to two Contra Costa County students who entered an art and design contest. The first-place winner designed an “ideal” intersection using the online gaming platform Roblox, and the second-place winner created a short film of how they use Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) daily.
Also in attendance will be Contra Costa County’s Teacher of the Year and Dr. Cristian Gaedicke, who will discuss how they use STEM education to inspire their students to imagine and design what’s next for transit.
The Summit will be held from 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM at the Roundhouse at Bishop Ranch, 2600 Camino Ramon in San Ramon.
A welcome reception will be held Monday, April 21 at 6:00 p.m.
Agenda
8:00 AM – 8:45 AM Breakfast and Networking
8:45 AM – 9:00 AM Welcome
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM Panel: Smart Cities, Smart Solutions
10:00 AM – 10:30 AM Student Showcase
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM Panel: Building the Workforce of Tomorrow
11:30 AM – 12:00 PM Art & Design Awards
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM Lunch and Demo Zone
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM Panel: New Innovative Business Models
2:30 PM – 3:00 PM Coffee and Conversation Break
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM Panel: The Next Frontier of Autonomous Mobility
4:00 PM – 4:30 PM Closing Remarks
Tickets are $395 per person plus fee to attend. To register and for more information visit The 10th Annual Redefining Mobility Summit, Tuesday, April 22, 2025.
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Verde Elementary School in West Contra Costa Unified School District. Photo: EdSource
By Louis Freedberg, EdSource.org, republished with permission
Top Takeaways
- Raising attendance would improve student outcomes and help the district achieve a balanced budget.
- The district will focus on boosting attendance of all students, not just those who are “chronically absent,” using a range of attendance-improvement strategies.
- Improving attendance will require an investment of funds and offering incentives, experts say.
To boost student attendance, the West Contra Costa Unified School District has launched a comprehensive plan to increase attendance by 2 percentage points this school year.
The plan will be reviewed by the school board at its meeting on Wednesday.
The challenge is in part an educational one. If students aren’t in class, they’re far less likely to succeed. It is also a financial strategy that is crucial to the district’s attempts to fend off insolvency and a state takeover for the second time in 30 years.
That’s because the main source of state funding for schools in California is based not just on how many students are enrolled, but on how many students actually show up each day for class.
But bumping up attendance, even by a few percentage points, is not as easy as it might seem, regardless of the district.
So what happens in this 29,000-student district in the San Francisco Bay Area, which includes Richmond and several adjacent communities, also holds lessons for numerous other financially struggling districts in California and nationally.
According to interim Superintendent Kim Moses, the math is simple: For every 1 percentage point increase in attendance, the district can raise $2.75 million in additional state funding.
Raising attendance by nearly 3 percentage points would generate over $7 million — about the same amount the district is projecting it will have to reduce its budget during each of the coming two years to achieve a balanced budget.
“It’s the biggest lever that we have,” board President Leslie Reckler, who is fully behind the attendance strategy to avert even more cuts in programs and staff than the district has already made, said in an interview. “We get paid by who shows up.”
Moses told the school board at a recent meeting, “If we are successful in increasing our attendance, that is a way to increase revenue. Then we can rescind the reductions we are proposing.”
Until now, the district’s attendance improvement plan has focused on “chronically absent” students — those who miss 10% or more instructional days per year. That has yielded results, pushing overall attendance rates in the district to 92.3% last fall, just below the state average.
But over the last few months, attendance rates in the district have started to drift down again, to 89.5% in February, according to district figures.
Natalie Tovani-Walchuk, vice president of local impact for Go Public Schools, an advocacy organization working in several Bay Area school districts, including West Contra Costa, speculates that some of the decline could be related to illnesses — the flu, Covid, norovirus and RSV — that simultaneously struck the district in recent months. It could also be that some immigrant parents fear bringing their children to school because of the Trump administration’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants.
“All of this creates conditions which you can’t control,” said Tovani-Walchuck, a former school principal born and raised in Richmond.
Aiming to boost attendance of all students
After initially focusing on chronically absent students, the district is now aiming to boost the attendance of all students, and to focus on schoolwide attendance-improvement strategies, including:
- Targeting schools with the lowest attendance and developing “individualized action plans” for those schools.
- Expecting schools to implement activities that reinforce positive attendance habits, such as recognizing students whose attendance improves and working more closely with families “to build stronger connections between school and home.”
- Helping schools use a toolkit developed by the district, including prepared scripts in communicating with parents, along with “action plans” for targeting lagging attendance to promote “Stronger Together: Show Up, Rise Up,” the theme of the attendance campaign.
- Recruiting more parents, representatives of community-based organizations and community members to participate in the district’s Student Attendance Review Board, to which students who are repeatedly absent or truant can be referred.
But Michael Fine, CEO of the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team, an agency set up by the state to help districts in difficult financial straits, said, “There is a limit to how much improvement in attendance can be made.”
A year ago, his agency issued a report concluding that, despite financial and other improvements, West Contra Costa faced a high risk of insolvency.
A realistic goal, Fine said, would be to increase attendance by 1 percentage point each year over the next three years. He pointed out that the district will probably have to spend money on extra staff time and incentives to generate interest among students, parents and schools.
“Programs like this cost money, so you have to spend to be successful,” Fine said.
Fine recalls that when he was a deputy superintendent at Riverside Unified, the district persuaded local businesses to award a used car to high school seniors who achieved perfect attendance across their entire K-12 careers, or other incentives like computers and bicycles for meeting less ambitious goals. His district spent about $250,000 a year on the program, but generated $1.2 million in increased attendance revenue.
Increasing attendance is especially challenging because there are many reasons why students don’t show up for school, all detailed in a presentation to be considered by the board at its monthly meeting this week. These include lack of transportation, illness, parent work schedules, child care constraints, and students feeling disengaged, unsupported and bored at school, plus, in some cases, severe mental health issues.
As a result, any initiative to reduce absenteeism demands a range of strategies to address its underlying causes.
Hedy Chang, executive director of Attendance Works, a nonprofit organization focusing on attendance, said West Contra Costa Unified appears to be on the right track by surveying parents and identifying why individual students don’t come to school. Another plus, she said, is the district’s creation of so-called community schools, which already work with social service organizations that can also help.
“It looks like the district has some things in place,” she said. But she also cautioned that schools with large numbers of low-income students, like many in West Contra Costa, will likely experience higher absenteeism rates and have to come up with multifaceted responses to overcome them.
Verde Elementary school secretary Victoria Farías, who attended the school as a student, assists with keeping track of attendance. Credit: Louis Freedberg, EdSource
Building positive relationships with parents
The district says one school that has made notable strides is Verde Elementary, a community school serving transitional kindergarten through eighth grade students in North Richmond, an unincorporated area of the district.
The efforts of Martha Nieto, Verde’s “school community outreach worker,” have been central to the school’s efforts to boost attendance.
Nieto, a mother of six who was born in Mexico, says that a key to getting kids to school is building positive relationships with parents. Each day, the school systematically records which students are absent. Attendance clerk Patricia Martines then calls parents’ homes, sometimes with the assistance of school secretary Patricia Farias, who attended the school and still lives in the neighborhood.
Each Friday, Nieto offers what she calls a “School Smarts” class for parents to learn how to get involved in the school. As for students, Nieto provides incentives to improve attendance with modest gifts like a soccer ball, or free ice cream or nachos, which she also hands out on Friday mornings. Students with perfect attendance are awarded medals at “Celebration of Learning” events held regularly in the school cafeteria.
The challenge, Go Public Schools’ Tovani-Walchuk says, is to extend efforts like these across the entire district.
“These are moments of real strength, and we’re seeing what is truly possible,” she said, referring to Verde Elementary. “But it has not been yet systematized where every school has their school community outreach worker doing this work. That’s really determined site by site, depending on its priorities.”
School board member Demetrio Gonzalez-Hoy says that in addition to boosting the attendance of existing students, there needs to be more emphasis on attracting new ones to the district. That’s because the district’s financial plight is largely due to student enrollment that has declined by an average of 3.1 percentage points over the previous four years, according to the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team report.
“It has to be a two-pronged approach,” he said. “We need to get families moving into our community to come to our schools. We don’t want to be a place where we have to be closing schools.”
“If we want to continue to thrive as a district, we have no other option,” he said.
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Held on $4.2 million bail
Search warrants served in Antioch, Pleasant Hill
Multiple arrests since 2021
By Concord Police Department
On Monday morning, April 14, 2025, around 3:00 A.M., Concord Police Department patrol officers, working in the area of Monument Blvd. near Meadow Lane, heard gunshots being fired. At the same time, CPD dispatch received several 911 calls regarding gunshots being heard in the vicinity. Officers responded to investigate and located a forty-year-old male gunshot victim, later identified as Omar Gonzalez, lying on the ground near the intersection of Monument Blvd. and Reganti Drive. He was pronounced deceased at the scene. Concord Police Department Major Crimes Unit detectives responded.
Detectives were able to identify Chance Martin, a 27-year-old (born 4/14/98) male resident of Pittsburg, as the suspect in the murder. It is believed that Martin had been involved in a dispute in the parking lot of 1500 Monument Blvd. with a group of males, had left in a vehicle, and then returned a short time later and shot multiple times, from the window of his vehicle, at the group of people with whom he had previously been arguing. One the bullets he fired struck and killed Gonzalez. A warrant was obtained for Martin’s arrest.
On Wednesday, April 16, Concord Police Department detectives, with the assistance of the United States Marshals Service Fugitive Apprehension Task Force, Pleasant Hill Police Department, and Antioch Police Department, served search warrants in Pleasant Hill and Antioch. Martin was located, arrested, and later booked at the Martinez Detention Facility.
Today, Concord Police Department detectives presented their case to the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office, who filed murder charges (187 PC) against Martin, who will remain in custody.
Anyone with further information regarding this case is asked to contact Concord Police Department Major Crimes Unit Detective Justin Wilson at (925) 603-5859 or the Concord Police Department tip line at (925) 603-5836.
According to the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Department, the five-foot, 10-inch tall, 135-pound Chance is being held on $4.2 million bail and his next court appearance is scheduled for May 6 at 8:30 AM in Superior Court, Martinez.
According to localcrimenews.com, he has a history of arrests since 2021 by Antioch, Pleasant Hill and san Pablo Police Departments and CHP-Contra Costa, including for gun charges and driving on a suspended license.
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
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Tommy Ray Vance (top left), Anthony Robert Mozingo (top right) and Sheldon Devin Ludd (bottom) arrested during ICAC Task Force operation. Photos: Brentwood PD
Two out of custody with no charges filed; multi-agency effort
By Brentwood Police Department
Earlier this month, the Brentwood Police Department hosted the Contra Costa County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force for a multi-agency, week-long operation focused on identifying and apprehending individuals seeking to sexually exploit minors online.
This proactive operation brought together 12 law enforcement agencies and dedicated hundreds of investigative hours to targeting those intending to harm children. The results of the operation included:
- 3 arrests
- seizure of digital devices and firearms
- a safer community—which remains our ultimate goal
Arrested during the operation:
- 48-year-old Tommy Ray Vance of Brentwood (see details in related article)
- 29-year-old Anthony Robert Mozingo of Elk Grove
- 29-year-old Sheldon Devin Ludd of Sacramento
We remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting the most vulnerable members of our community. We extend our sincere appreciation to the following agencies for their collaboration and support:
Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office, FBI, Oakley PD, Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, Antioch PD, Contra Costa County MCTF, Martinez PD, Walnut Creek PD, Homeland Security Investigations, Contra Costa Probation Department, and the United States Secret Service.
According to the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office, as of April 14 Mozingo is out of custody with no charges filed and as of April 15, Ludd is also out of custody with no charges filed.
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
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Tommy Vance was arrested with a cache of illegal firearms and ammunition. Photos: Brentwood PD
High school football referee
By Brentwood Police Department
As part of a recent week-long operation led by the Contra Costa County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force—hosted by the Brentwood Police Department in collaboration with 11 additional agencies—significant progress was made in safeguarding children from online exploitation.
During the operation, Brentwood PD Detectives, working alongside a Martinez PD Detective, arrested 48-year-old Tommy Ray Vance of Brentwood (born 12/19/76) on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. Vance had allegedly arranged to meet a minor for the purpose of engaging in lewd and lascivious acts.
Following his arrest, Detectives obtained a search warrant for Vance’s residence, which resulted in the recovery of over 15 illegally possessed firearms. Vance, a convicted felon, was taken into custody on charges including:
- Arranging a meeting with a minor for lewd purposes
- Contacting a minor for sex
- Prohibited person in possession of a firearm
- Possession of an assault weapon
(and other related charges)
Detectives also confirmed that Vance is a high school football referee.
We are releasing Vance’s photo in order to identify any potential victims. If you have any information or believe you may have had contact with him, please contact the Brentwood Police Department at 925-809-7911. Callers may remain anonymous.
According to the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Department, the six-foot tall, 230-pound Vance is being held in the West County Detention Facility on no bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for May 5 at 8:30 AM in Superior Court, Martinez.
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
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Source: Recall of District Attorney Diana Becton
Organizers can begin gathering signatures
By Allen D. Payton
The organizers for the effort to recall Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton announced on Friday the Contra Costa Elections office approved their petition. They can now begin gathering signatures following a press conference this Saturday, April 26.
“We are pleased to announce that our recall petition has received approval today, Friday, April 18, 2025. As stated in the email with the official letter we received, we need a total of 72,556 valid signatures. The reviewing body has 60 business days from the filing date to assess the petition and verify that the necessary number of voters have signed it. All completed petitions must be submitted by 5:00 PM on Thursday, September 25, 2025, which is 160 days from the notice date.
“If the petition meets the required standards, the elections official will certify the results to the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors upon completing the review. The Board of Supervisors is required to order an election within 14 days following their meeting. Should the Board fail to issue this order within the specified timeframe, the Registrar of Voters will set the election date within 5 days.
“The election will take place no sooner than 88 days and no later than 125 days after the order is issued. However, it may also occur within 180 days of the order if it can be coordinated with a regularly scheduled election.
“The recall organizers have decided to hold a press conference and the first day of signing on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at 5 PM. This event will take place at Alexis Gabe’s memorial bench located at 3231 Main St., Oakley, CA, just outside city hall. They believe it is important to celebrate this momentous occasion with the many supporters who have been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to sign the petition.
“Please confirm your attendance. For any questions or further information, feel free to contact us via email at recalldianabecton@gmail.com or info@recalldianabecton.org. We look forward to seeing you there.
Sincerely,
The Recall District Attorney Diana Becton Team”
(See related articles here and here)
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During multi-agency traffic enforcement in morning commute hours
28-year-old Dejon Brandy already out of custody with no charges filed
By Oakley Police Department
On April 15, 2025, Oakley PD’s Traffic Unit participated in a multi-agency traffic enforcement campaign on Highway 4 with officers from Antioch Police, Brentwood Police, Hercules Police, Pittsburg Police and Richmond Police Departments.
At 7:35AM Oakley Officer B. Jackson saw a GMC Yukon with no rear license plate on Westbound 4 approaching Bailey Road, Officer Jackson tried to stop the driver via his lights and siren, but the driver failed to yield; a pursuit was started. The Yukon’s driver fled on the shoulder of Highway 4 and took the Bailey Road offramp. The driver ran a red light at Bailey Road and Canal Road in Bay Point and collided with an occupied vehicle. The Yukon driver continued to flee towards Willow Pass Road where he went eastbound towards Pittsburg. The driver turned onto southbound Railroad Avenue and entered the eastbound lanes of Highway 4 going westbound. Pursuit of the driver came to an end there due to the dangers associated with wrong way driving.
The Yukon’s driver exited at Bailey Road going the wrong way. The driver was seen getting out of the SUV and running to a nearby Burger King. Several traffic enforcement campaign officers, along with CHP – Contra Costa officers and Contra Costa Sheriff’s deputies, converged on the area and detained the driver, identified as Dejon Brandy (male, 28) of San Francisco. The occupants of the vehicle Brandy collided with were treated for injuries sustained from the collision. Officers determined the Yukon was stolen.
Oakley Police Chief Paul Beard said, “The officers participating in the multi-agency traffic enforcement campaign were primarily focusing on safety issues related to commute driving to ensure our local commuters exercise safe driving habits.
“This case goes to show crime, and criminals, exist everywhere (even when people are just trying to get to work to support their families) and it is a sad part of our everyday life. I am grateful to all of the officers who took part in this arrest, as they clearly removed a dangerous criminal from society and incarcerated him where he cannot steal from people or hurt innocent people just conducting daily life matters. I hope the people who were injured in this incident receive the care they need and make a full recovery.
Stay safe Oakley.”
According to the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office, as of 8:14 PM on Thursday, April 17, Brandy was out of custody with no charges filed.
According to localcrimenews.com Brandy was also arrested for receiving stolen property – motor vehicle theft in San Francisco on April 4, 2025.
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
Read MorePhoto: Brentwood PD
Has history of arrests dating back to 2014
By Brentwood Police Department
On April 8, 2025, at approximately 2:30 AM, a Brentwood officer was patrolling the area of Lone Tree Way and Jeffrey Way when he observed a vehicle driving with expired registration.
The driver and passenger were identified as 48-year-old Michael G. Silence of Oregon and 35-year-old Amber Silence of Olivehurst. While speaking with the driver, another officer on scene noticed a gun case in the front passenger area of the vehicle.
A loaded firearm was located inside the vehicle, which was later confirmed to be stolen from another county.
Michael, a convicted felon, was arrested for being in possession of a stolen firearm and other related charges. Amber was also arrested for possession of drugs and additional related offenses. Both were transported to the Martinez Detention Facility for booking.
This arrest highlights the vigilance and proactive efforts of our patrol officers, who continue working day and night to keep illegal firearms and drugs off our streets.
According to localcrimenews.com, Silence has a history of arrests dating back to 2014 by the Sheriff’s Departments of Yuba and Shasta counties for crimes including gun, ammunition and drug possession.
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
Read MoreKenneth David McIsaac mugshot. Source: Lafayette PD
Kenneth McIsaac used replica gun to rob neighbors, hold captive for five hours until subdued
Referred to mental health treatment facility in 2023 but fled, rearrested
By Ted Asregadoo, PIO, Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office
On March 27, 2025, a Contra Costa County jury convicted 34-year-old Kenneth David McIsaac (born 12/20/90) on multiple felony charges, related to a home invasion incident involving a Lafayette family.
The conviction stems from a September 24, 2022, incident in Lafayette. As a mother and her children returned from the community pool in their apartment complex, McIsaac, who was also a resident at the same complex, followed them into their unit, shut the door and announced he was there to rob them. He lifted his shirt to reveal what appeared to be a firearm, later found to be a replica.
The mother called for her husband, who entered the living room. McIsaac forced the family to sit on the floor, retrieved kitchen knives, and handed the mother duct tape to bind her husband and children before binding her himself. For over five hours, he held the family captive and threatened to kill the parents in front of the children.
Through will and determination, the husband was able to free himself from his bindings. When McIsaac returned to the living room, the husband fought back, ultimately subduing the intruder long enough for the rest of the family to escape and seek help.
In August 2023, McIsaac was referred to Mental Health Court for diversion — despite objections from the District Attorney’s Office. He was accepted and released to a treatment facility — but fled in October.
Law enforcement apprehended him on November 14th.
McIsaac was convicted by a jury on multiple felony charges, including:
- Two counts of kidnap to commit robbery
- Two counts of kidnapping for ransom
- Multiple counts of first-degree residential robbery
- Felony child abuse
- False imprisonment
- Criminal threats
Additionally, the jury found true enhancements for the use of a deadly weapon in 12 of the 13 charges.
District Attorney Diana Becton stated: “This verdict holds Kenneth McIsaac accountable for the harm he caused this family. His conviction sends a strong message that violent crimes of this nature will not be tolerated in Contra Costa County.”
McIsaac is scheduled to be sentenced on June 6th by Judge Mary Ann O’Malley in Martinez. He faces a potential life sentence.
According to localcrimenews.com, the six-foot, three-inch tall, 190-pound McIsaac was also arrested in October 2020 by Oakland Police for battery with serious Bodily injury and elder or dependent adult abuse.
According to the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Department, he is being held in the Martinez Detention Facility on no bail.
Case # 01-22-01678 | The People of the State of California vs. McIsaac, Kenneth David
Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
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Reminder!! Get ready for that shred-it time of year! Tri Delta Transit in partnership with the City of Antioch, City of Oakley and others, brings you the annual drive-thru Shred-It Event on Thursday, April 24th in Oakley.
Get out those papers and remove all large binder clips, plastic ring binding, bindings, binders and heavy folders. Event starts at 9:00 AM and is first come, first served until the trucks are full!
BE READY TO DRIVE UP AND HELP OUT
This is a drive-up event where you will enter at the Cypress driveway, wait in line in your vehicle (turn off car if can), then drive up to the truck.
Helpers will indicate which truck you are to pull up to.
Once you stop where the helpers tell you, please exit your vehicle safely. Give the helpers your shredding or indicate where your shredding is and which ones they are. Once the helpers review the materials, they will dump them into a bin for shredding.
If you want to watch your shredding be shredded, please let the helper know. You will need to pull your car over, exit the vehicle and walk to the far side of the truck to watch with the Shred-It employee.
ALL BAGS AND BOXES the shredding is brought it, must be taken away with you.
Unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to keep it and dispose of it.
Cars will not be allowed to line up until all safety cones and precautions are in place.
Event is first come, first serve until the trucks are full.
Keep in mind that this could be anytime after 9:00 am. If large loads come, the trucks will reach capacity quickly.
If the truck is full, you will be asked to take all shredding home with you.
All bags, boxes and containers that you bring your shredding in, MUST be taken back with you.
For more information visit Community Drive Thru Shred-It Event -Tri Delta Transit.
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Featuring latest innovations in transportation technology
San Ramon, Calif.- The Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) will host the 10th annual Redefining Mobility Summit (RMS) in San Ramon on Tuesday, April 22. RMS, which started in 2015, has grown from a regional meeting to a global gathering of government, industry, and international (from Finland to Japan among others) transportation leaders. The day-long summit features interactive sessions and dynamic and virtual-reality demonstrations of how cutting-edge technology is paving the way for the future of transportation.
CCTA’s Executive Director, Tim Haile, will present awards to two Contra Costa County students who entered an art and design contest. The first-place winner designed an “ideal” intersection using the online gaming platform Roblox, and the second-place winner created a short film of how they use Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) daily.
Also in attendance will be Contra Costa County’s Teacher of the Year and Dr. Cristian Gaedicke, who will discuss how they use STEM education to inspire their students to imagine and design what’s next for transit.
The Summit will be held from 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM at the Roundhouse at Bishop Ranch, 2600 Camino Ramon in San Ramon.
A welcome reception will be held Monday, April 21 at 6:00 p.m.
Agenda
8:00 AM – 8:45 AM Breakfast and Networking
8:45 AM – 9:00 AM Welcome
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM Panel: Smart Cities, Smart Solutions
10:00 AM – 10:30 AM Student Showcase
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM Panel: Building the Workforce of Tomorrow
11:30 AM – 12:00 PM Art & Design Awards
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM Lunch and Demo Zone
1:30 PM – 2:30 PM Panel: New Innovative Business Models
2:30 PM – 3:00 PM Coffee and Conversation Break
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM Panel: The Next Frontier of Autonomous Mobility
4:00 PM – 4:30 PM Closing Remarks
Tickets are $395 per person plus fee to attend. To register and for more information visit The 10th Annual Redefining Mobility Summit, Tuesday, April 22, 2025.
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