BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The Bakersfield City School District held its Little Black Scholars Big Dreams event at the end of July to welcome newly enrolled African American students and their families ahead of the new school year.
The event featured interactive activities and informational booths, giving students and families the opportunity to meet with staff and community leaders and learn how education can better serve them in reaching their goals.
BCSD Superintendent Dr. Karling Aguilera-Fort said the event was designed to ensure the district is properly supporting everyone — not just as students head back to school, but as they and their families navigate the experience together.
"Our academic data and even our social-emotional data show that our African American students are still yet to perform at high levels of academics and still being coming to school every single day," Aguilera-Fort said.
Aguilera-Fort said the district plans to stay engaged with the students and families who attended.
"We will follow up with each one of these students and families, and yes, we will be checking their progress. And if at any point there are needs that we need to address. We are ready, and families will know that we are doing it with the intention of supporting their child from the very beginning," Aguilera-Fort said.
Teela "Ms. Tee" Herbert, an aide and parent to students at Casa Loma, said she was invited to the event by staff and that it exceeded her expectations. Herbert said the impact was felt not just by students, but by parents as well.
"Everything was so tailor-made for our students. They really captured the essence of academic excellence," Herbert said.
"They had a lot of things for the parents to get involved in. We know that — that's a big component of the student success is parent involvement. I think the parents felt seen; they felt included. I myself, as a parent, I felt so welcomed," Herbert said.
Monday marked the first day of school for BCSD teachers and staff. Students return to the classroom on Wednesday, Aug. 12.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Stay in Touch with Us Anytime, Anywhere:
