FRESNO, Calif. — Parents and educators at several Fresno Unified schools are pushing back against the district’s decision to reassign school vice principals ahead of the upcoming school year.
FOX26 News Reporter Mayra Franco spoke with a parent and the Fresno Teachers Association about the impact these moves could have on school communities.
She also reports that petitions are now circulating across the district in response to the changes.
So far, there are at least three petitions signed by educators asking the district to reconsider the decision, along with one petition from parents calling for the same outcome.
At Mayfair Elementary, parent Angela Carrasco says families are fighting to keep Vice Principal Mrs. Magaña, who she says has spent years building trust within the school community.
“She’s a pillar of Mayfair Elementary. She has done so much there, not just for all the students, the staff, the families as well, even our bilingual community as well,” Carrasco said.
The petition at Mayfair has collected more than 186 signatures, with families hoping district leaders will reconsider.
“Why take someone away from the school that they’re doing so good at, to another school, when they can just bring someone new,” Carrasco said.
The Fresno Teachers Association says concerns are not limited to a single school.
FTA President Manuel Bonilla says the union has been receiving calls from educators across multiple campuses.
The district identifies five schools involved in the reassignment process:
Herrea Elementary SchoolTurner Elementary SchoolMalloch Elementary SchoolDuncan High SchoolMayfair Elementary School
Bonilla says some educators and parents feel unheard in the process.
“Numerous parents that have reached out felt, number one, unheard, and two, as if their issues were just being completely ignored,” Bonilla said.
He also questioned how the district is making its decisions.
“We have examples of quality leadership where we want the leader to stay, and the district is choosing to move them for no apparent reason,” he said.
In response to the concerns, Fresno Unified says the reassignments are based on several factors aimed at strengthening support across campuses that need it.
The district confirms there are 5 principal and 26 vice principal lateral reassignments taking place across Fresno Unified this year.
Officials also addressed concerns from parents who worry the changes could disrupt school culture.
“Lateral placements occur every year. Healthy cultures are built and sustained by staff, students and leaders, not any one person,” the district said in a statement. “We are confident that the lateral changes will not negatively impact the progress of schools.”
The district added it is confident the changes will improve outcomes across the district.
Fresno Unified also acknowledged that vice principal rotations are not common compared to other districts, but said the moves are still routine.
When asked why the reassignments are happening now, the district said: “It is common to laterally reassign leaders every year to meet the district’s needs. This year, we experienced a greater number of vacancies due to PARS retirements.”
The district also confirmed that, despite community petitions and concerns, the decision will not be reconsidered.