Valley Center-Pauma

Dear VCPUSD Families,

San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) has notified us that they are monitoring portions of San Diego County, including Valley Center and Pauma Valley, for potential Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) tomorrow Friday, October 2nd. SDG&E's primary concern is elevated fire danger driven by gusty winds and high temperatures in mountain and high elevation areas. SDG&E’s forecasts show that winds in these areas could remain high through the weekend into early next week.

Based on our latest briefings with SDG&E officials, it is unlikely that our schools will lose power or be impacted by a shutoff. At this time, all VCPUSD schools will operate on a normal schedule.

Our district leadership team is meeting directly with SDG&E twice daily to monitor weather forecasts and local conditions. While we expect normal operations across all campuses, we always prepare and have plans ready to ensure we can safely have students on each campus should conditions or circumstances unexpectedly change:

- Communication: If a shutoff directly affects any of our school sites or impacts district operations, we will notify families immediately through an automated phone call, text message, and updates on our district website.
- Excused Absences: We understand that power outages at home create significant challenges for families. If your household experiences a PSPS outage that impacts your student's ability to attend school, please know that their absence will be fully excused.
- SDG&E Family Resources: You can track local outage maps, circuit status, and estimated restoration times for your neighborhood through SDG&E’s PSPS mobile app or by visiting SDGE.com/Outages.

Thank you for your continued support and collaboration as we work together to keep our schools safe, welcoming, and focused on learning for every student every day.

Mark Hailwood
Superintendent, Valley Center-Pauma Unified School District

High School Families Join Us Tonight! We are wrapping up our Back to School Night schedule tonight (Tuesday, September 15th) at our high school campuses: Valley Center High School 5-8 PM (Classroom Visits Start @6 PM), Oak Glen High School 5- 7 PM

🎉 Thank You for a Fantastic Back to School Night Season! A huge thank you to all of the families who joined us for Back to School Nights across our elementary and middle school campuses! It was wonderful seeing our classrooms filled with connected families and smiling faces. A special shout-out to our incredible teachers, staff, and administrators for their hard work in making these events such a success for our school community! 👏✨

Check out our photos to see highlights from our Back to School Night events, and we look forward to seeing our high school families this evening!

Good afternoon VCPUSD families,

Earlier today, our district was notified by our local Sheriff's Department of law enforcement activity in the area near Valley Center High School and Oak Glen High School. The Sheriff's Department confirmed there was no direct threat to the two schools and that law enforcement were detaining an individual nearby.

Following our district safety and emergency response procedures for police activity near a school, both campuses moved to secure and monitor all exterior doors and gates, pausing outdoor activities, and limiting movement around campus with students and staff continuing to teach and learn in classrooms and indoor spaces.

Our school and district administrative team remained in direct contact with the Sheriff's Department throughout, receiving ongoing updates until we were notified that the police activity had concluded. Both schools then returned to normal operations with no changes in dismissal, athletics, or other school activities.

At no point was there a threat to students and staff on either campus. Our steps to secure both schools and limit student movement was a precautionary measure. My thanks to our staff at both schools for a calm, professional response, and to our partners at the Sheriff's Department for their clear and timely communication.

If you have questions please feel free to contact your school or district main office. Thank you for your continued support, trust, and partnership in keeping our school community safe.

Mark Hailwood
Superintendent, Valley Center-Pauma Unified School District

Thank you to the whole VCPUSD community for a great second day and a great start to a new school year! Here are some more first day photos shared by families around the district. vcpusd.org

Welcome to the 2026-2027 school year at VCPUSD! It is going to be an amazing year and it starts with a great first day. We want to see your best first day photos. We'll share them with everyone and pick a few winners for prizes! Submit your photos at https://vcpusd.org/firstday