Salinas City Elementary superintendent lays out goals: reading, math, bilingual expansion and hiring needs
May 11, 2026 | Salinas, Monterey County, California
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Superintendent Dr. Andrade told the joint meeting on May 5 that the Salinas City Elementary School District serves more than 8,600 students across 15 schools and that the district is finalizing a budget to present to the board in late May with approval planned for June.
“We want every child reading proficiently by third grade, being proficient in math by fifth grade, and our English learners are multilinguals to be reclassified within five years of being in the U.S.,” Dr. Andrade said, summarizing the district’s so‑called 5‑3‑5 promise.
Dr. Andrade described personnel and program priorities: the district employs about 1,200 people and is actively hiring — including bus drivers — and said budget resources are focused on people (teachers, support staff) and student programs. She described a new identification program for advanced learners that aims to include English learners and students with disabilities and highlighted student participation in a district film festival (more than 40 submissions) and other STEAM showcases.
On bilingual education, Dr. Andrade said seven of the district’s 14 physical schools have Spanish dual‑immersion programs and the district is exploring parent‑driven expansion of the program to seventh grade; she said no other district in the county currently offers dual immersion at the secondary level.
Dr. Andrade also noted nine of the district’s 14 schools received community‑school grants to support wellness and family services and described ongoing efforts to finalize bylaws and job descriptions to support that work.
Board and council members asked for data on current reading and math proficiency rates; Dr. Andrade said recent gains have been limited and the district remains in the early‑twentieth percentiles while students were testing that week. She urged continued community engagement to sustain progress.
Next steps: Dr. Andrade said more information on staffing and the budget will be shared with the board in May and that the district will continue to update the council as growth‑area planning proceeds.
“We want every child reading proficiently by third grade, being proficient in math by fifth grade, and our English learners are multilinguals to be reclassified within five years of being in the U.S.,” Dr. Andrade said, summarizing the district’s so‑called 5‑3‑5 promise.
Dr. Andrade described personnel and program priorities: the district employs about 1,200 people and is actively hiring — including bus drivers — and said budget resources are focused on people (teachers, support staff) and student programs. She described a new identification program for advanced learners that aims to include English learners and students with disabilities and highlighted student participation in a district film festival (more than 40 submissions) and other STEAM showcases.
On bilingual education, Dr. Andrade said seven of the district’s 14 physical schools have Spanish dual‑immersion programs and the district is exploring parent‑driven expansion of the program to seventh grade; she said no other district in the county currently offers dual immersion at the secondary level.
Dr. Andrade also noted nine of the district’s 14 schools received community‑school grants to support wellness and family services and described ongoing efforts to finalize bylaws and job descriptions to support that work.
Board and council members asked for data on current reading and math proficiency rates; Dr. Andrade said recent gains have been limited and the district remains in the early‑twentieth percentiles while students were testing that week. She urged continued community engagement to sustain progress.
Next steps: Dr. Andrade said more information on staffing and the budget will be shared with the board in May and that the district will continue to update the council as growth‑area planning proceeds.
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