Vallecitos benefitting from Community Schools Grant

Joe Naiman

Village News Correspondent

The state’s Community Schools Grant program has provided $1.187 million to Vallecitos Elementary School.

The Vallecitos School District learned that the district and its only elementary school were recipients of the grant in late July when Maritza Koeppen was still the Vallecitos School District superintendent and Vallecitos Elementary School principal. “I’m very excited for the future of Vallecitos,” Koeppen said.

Health services, including mental health, were the focus of the Community Schools Grant awards. “We’re looking at a health specialist,” Koeppen said.

The duties of that health specialist would include physical education. The Vallecitos Elementary School athletic program is an after-school activity, so the new physical education teacher would not adversely affect the role of Vallecitos athletic director and coach Ray Hanbeck. The health specialist position would be full-time.