Most local special education school bus drivers are performing their duties alone, while also attending to student behavior issues occurring on the bus. Given that school bus drivers have, by law, sole responsibility for rider safety and discipline on the bus, the 2020-2021 Ventura County Grand Jury (Grand Jury) examined the challenges that can emerge when transporting special education students.

The Grand Jury found that a special education school bus driver is required to do an extraordinarily demanding set of tasks. They must drive a bus through city streets and traffic, obeying all laws, while simultaneously monitoring the behavior of every student on board. This creates the potential for distracted driving and for unchecked student behavior that could jeopardize the welfare of other students and the driver. The Grand Jury commends school bus drivers in Ventura County (County) for accomplishing a demanding set of tasks: simultaneously driving a bus and responding to behavioral issues during the bus ride.

The Grand Jury investigation focused on a particularly vulnerable population of special education students who have an increased need for supervision on a school bus: students with diagnoses of autism, emotional or behavioral issues, combined loss of hearing and vision, medically fragile and non-verbal or those who are otherwise unable to speak out or defend themselves.

The Grand Jury examined policies and practices at the Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE) because of its broad scope of experience, support for all school districts in the County and its operation of several schools for populations in need of specialized education. VCOE also provides daily busing for more than 900 special education students in the County. The Grand Jury commends VCOE for its proactive, ongoing, and pertinent training for bus drivers.

Ventura County Special Education Local Plan Areas (SELPA) develops and administers programs and workshops for teachers and parents of special education students, including guidance on development of Individual Education Plans (IEP).

The Grand Jury commends SELPA for providing information and support to families of children with special needs.

After analyzing VCOE transportation policy, the Grand Jury recommends that VCOE:

• Include transportation personnel in scheduled student IEP meetings under specific conditions when the student needs adaptive or assistive equipment, when school bus equipment is required to be modified, or a when a behavior intervention plan is to be implemented for pupils exhibiting severe behavioral difficulties.
  • Adopt a standardized, predictive approach of analyzing data from Bus Conduct Report Forms to identify trends in behaviors that lead to unsafe situations, with the goal of developing specific strategies to minimize those risks.
• Adopt a procedure by which a VCOE administrator can evaluate the need for, and request, a bus attendant.
  • Adopt a procedure that relates to strategies for assuring increased supervision and a safe environment on a school bus. Strategies could include assigning bus attendants to buses carrying students of higher risk, for example, autistic, emotionally disturbed, or deaf/blind students. Another strategy could be installing internal cameras or other innovative systems on special education school buses.

The coronavirus pandemic has set back (but not defeated) Ventura’s travel and hospitality businesses, but the economic power of the tourism industry is igniting a comeback as California Tourism Month begins.

The California travel industry’s underlying strength and enduring selflessness and resilience aligns with California Tourism Month’s theme, the “Power of Possibility.” This week, California also joins the U.S. Travel Association in honoring the Power of Travel for National Travel and Tourism Week.

“At Visit Ventura we have always spoken the truth,” says Marlyss Auster, Visit Ventura President & CEO. “And here’s the simple truth. There has never been a more important time for the economic driver that is tourism. Tourism will put Ventura — and our surrounding communities — back on their feet. Working together, with ongoing safety in mind, we can not only survive, we can thrive.”

Despite losses due to Covid-19 business closures and community lockdowns, California is well-positioned for recovery.

The long-term outlook for California has brightened considerably. Tourism Economics projects domestic visitor spending in California will reach 76% of 2019 levels this year. In 2022, domestic spending will hit 94% of 2019 levels, and total visitor spending, including resurgent international travel, will hit 87%.

The Golden State remains among the best-performing states in case counts and vaccination rates and has implemented long-term health measures so visitors can feel safe.

The outlook for summer travel in California is very positive, as the state expects to remove most restrictions by June 15 – just before summer officially arrives.

The vast majority of California’s abundance of tourism assets – theme parks, museums, concert halls, restaurants and wineries among them – are moving toward normal operations. Ventura,  graced with the wide open spaces perfect for cautious recovery — from Channel Islands National Park to recently opened Harmon Canyon (a hiking and biking paradise) — has begun welcoming visitors back.

“With all our incredible outdoors and wide open beach spaces, Ventura is perfectly suited for these still socially-distanced times,” says Auster. “We’ve always welcomed visitors warmly. Now we welcome them warmly and safely.”

And as Californians resume traveling, they have the power to jumpstart the state’s economic recovery by choosing to keep their trips within California.

“California’s tourism industry has long provided Californians with a strong civic foundation and generated billions of dollars in state and local tax revenues to help provide services that benefit everyone in the state,” said Caroline Beteta, president and CEO of Visit California. “Now residents can help their fellow Californians by keeping their tourism dollars in California and supporting local businesses as a modern-day act of patriotism. Together we can support our own economic recovery. There is power in California civic pride”

But there is plenty of work to do, particularly to re-build the vibrant travel and hospitality workforce. A month after the mid-March lockdown, more than half of the 1.2 million tourism workers found themselves without jobs.

Even as the economy re-opens and businesses gradually offer more services to more and more consumers, the foundation of the industry – its people – still strive to return to work in a safe and confident manner that makes economic sense for them and their families.

“In the end, it’s not really about economics,” says Auster. “It’s about kindness and caring.”

Kids & Families Together (K&FT) is a nonprofit that has been serving foster/resource, adoptive, kinship, and birth families throughout Ventura County since 2000. K&FT works with children who have experienced trauma, abuse, neglect, loss, and multiple placements. K&FT also works with caregivers who need specialized education, support, and strategies to help raise safe, healthy, nurtured children that thrive.

Kids & Families Together, along with Heart 2 Heart will be holding our 3rd Bike Event on Saturday, June 19th from 10am – 1pm. The idea for this event was inspired by grandparents who were receiving support in some of our programs. They were a “kinship family”, and had their 7-year- old granddaughter in their care. Their granddaughter really wanted to learn how to ride a bike, but neither of the grandparents felt that they were physically capable of safely helping her. The grandmother reached out to K&FT looking for help. That one phone call, sparked the idea for this event! We knew if this was an issue for one of our families, there were most likely many Foster/Resource, Kinship and Adoptive Families in a similar situation.

So the event was born, and first took place in May of 2019. That day 10 children learned how to ride a bike for the first time! It was amazing to see these kids go from just starting out, to fully riding within a few hours. The smiles on their faces was priceless and they were filled with such pride and excitement! Due to COVID, the 2020 event was strictly held as a bike gift-away event.

But this year, we are able to bring it back as a full Bike Safety and Bike Rodeo event! We are grateful to Crosspointe Church Ventura (5415 Ralston St.) for hosting this year’s event. Their large parking lot will be the perfect setting of our bike course. Our goal for this event is to serve 100 children! Included in this year’s event will be … bike riding instructions, riding skills, a riding course will be set up, bike safety checks will be available for those that bring their own bikes, and drawings to win new bikes. All children attending the event will receive a new bike helmet, some treats and a grab bag.

We are grateful to our Bike Rodeo partners and event sponsors that will be out in force to support our families: Crosspoint Church Ventura, Bike Ventura, The California Highway Patrol (CHP-Ventura), and the Gene Haas Foundation.

Volunteer opportunities are available both prior to the event, to help sort, organize and prepare, along with time slots for the day of the event. To keep staff, families and volunteers safe, we are following current public health and safety regulations. All attendees will be required to wear a mask at all times. Contact: Jeni Futvoye 805-940-6323 [email protected].

We apologize for how long it took to respond to this letter (it was not an email) it ended up in a pile and was recently found. The response is long, and important so we published it as an article.

Dear Editor:

My husband and I have noticed an increase in graffiti in Ventura. Extensive continued defacing to both public walls and the 101 freeway signs, mostly along the new townhouse complex wall near the Seaward exit in nearby highway signs. It really is a shame as the cost of damage must fall on taxpayers and owners. What can we do as a community to address this? If caught, are they responsible to clean up after themselves as restitution?

Concerned Ventura citizen
Charlotte Perry-Hultgen

Here is a response from Detective Sergeant Edward Caliento, with the VPD Street Crimes Unit:

The charge for graffiti is Vandalism, the California Penal code is 594 PC. If the damage or cost of removal is less than $400 it is a misdemeanor. Over $400 is a felony. Both are punishable by time in jail, fines, and victim restitution. They could also be held liable for civil fines.

If the suspect is an adult and is found guilty, they can do jail time and be placed on probation. Probation prohibits suspects from possessing graffiti tools, being around certain people and or certain areas.

If the suspect is a juvenile and is found guilty, they might do some time in Juvenile Hall, be put on probation, or sentenced to other diversion type programs. Their parents could be liable for civil fines from the city and the victims.

If the graffiti is gang related there are additional charges that can be added.

This is what the Ventura Police Department recommends:

To report tagging/graffiti in the City of Ventura call the graffiti hotline (805) 654-7805. You can also call the Ventura Police 24/7 non-emergency number 805-650-8010. Or email [email protected] whenever you see graffiti. The line is open 24 hours per day, 7 days a week. The City’s Public Works Graffiti Removal Unit strives to remove all graffiti within 48 hours from the time we receive your call. The Ventura Police Department asks you to report these crimes through either venue, even if you’re going to clean it up yourself.

The City of Ventura is committed to promptly removing graffiti from public areas. Experience has shown that removing graffiti as soon as it occurs is the best prevention against future graffiti.

Graffiti Prevention

There are several steps you can take to prevent future graffiti tagging:

• If you see graffiti in progress, report it by calling 9-1-1. Don’t try to intervene.
• Contact the property owner whose building has been vandalized by graffiti and stress the importance of quick cleanup. Form a neighborhood group to help property owners clean up graffiti quickly.
• Prevent graffiti. Rapid removal tells vandals that people care about their place of business and neighborhood and that their work has little chance of being seen.
• Plain smooth surfaces invite graffiti. For walls, choose patterned and rough concrete surfaces or tiled or mosaic surfaces; for fences, use chain, lattice, or wooden picket fences.
• Choose paints and coating to deter graffiti. Dark colors make graffiti harder to see. Anti-graffiti coatings are available as well.
• Plant trees, shrubs, or climbing vines to restrict access to tempting walls. Plants with thorns or strong scents are good deterrents.
• Use good lighting to deter vandals from popular graffiti sites.

Homes with Heart VC, a program of Ventura County Children and Family Services, is recruiting loving families in Ventura County to open their homes to older youth in care. Transitional aged youth (TAY) are between the ages of 16-25 and are at a point in their lives where love, guidance, and mentorship are critical for their future independence.     

Currently, the county has over 200 TAY youth and homes are in higher demand than ever before. A safe place to call home can provide older youth with stability and teach them valuable skillsets in preparation for a successful future. By taking the first steps to become a resource family, you can make a large difference as they step forward into the rest of their life.    

“Most people don’t want teenagers, they want babies, so they can grow up with them… So it was a little harder finding a home that actually wanted someone like me, who was much older,” said Betty, a former youth in care.  “Not feeling like you were wanted by certain people, by certain homes, that was a little hard for my heart.”    

Homes with Heart VC is grateful for the families who have already shared their support. There are so many ways to show you care regardless of the size of the commitment. RaisingHOPE, a non-profit partner to Homes with Heart VC, offers free housing navigation services to TAY youth and provides options to overcome housing barriers for our TAY.    

“Our work is dedicated to the overall safety of our families in Ventura County, and one of the most important things we do is to find safe and loving homes for our children, especially the older youth who are transitioning into independence,” said Jaci Johnson, Program Coordinator III at Ventura County Children and Family Services. “We cannot do this important work without the support from our community, and we urge you to step up and help.”     

To learn more about how you can get involved and help transitional aged youth, visit Teenhomes.homeswithheartvc.org    

Recognized as a best practice leader statewide in the family recruitment and support component of child welfare, Ventura County Children and Family Services’ Homes with Heart VC, previously known as Foster VC Kids, was developed to increase the amount of loving resource families who are ready to take in children in need in Ventura County.               

This initiative provides resource families with ongoing support services, trauma-informed training, and mentorship to enhance the safety, permanency and well-being of Ventura County’s youth and families.    

Learn how Ventura County Children and Family Services’ Homes with Heart VC is making a difference throughout Ventura County, www.homeswithheartvc.org.