Benicia Unified superintendent outlines 100‑day review, highlights strong metrics and priorities

Superintendent Chris Calabresi delivered a 100‑day report to the Benicia Unified School District Board of Education, summarizing site visits, student performance indicators and administrative priorities. He presented a district snapshot showing 4,514 students, 563 employees, a 95.6% graduation rate, average daily attendance near 94.5% and total district funding of $65,660,546, including LCFF funding of $51,875,432.

Calabresi said the report reflects listening sessions with staff, students, families and community partners, and about 200 classroom visits. He described four overarching goals: learn deeply through data and experiences; lead collaboratively with transparent decisionmaking; create multiple communication opportunities among stakeholders; and align short‑ and long‑term budget and program goals. He also announced a superintendent’s grant committee to centralize grant applications and reduce duplicated efforts by school sites.

The superintendent highlighted areas of student growth on recent assessments, noting double‑digit gains for some student groups and emphasizing continued attention to students with disabilities and socioeconomically disadvantaged students. He said improving demographic alignment between staff and students—particularly Hispanic/Latino representation among staff—remains a district priority.

Board members asked no substantive questions of the presentation. Calabresi identified upcoming touchpoints for student voice and community meetings and noted a Feb. 28 board study session for continued planning. The superintendent closed by thanking staff and recognizing employees of the year.