CA State Superintendent recognizes Central Unified's Pathway Community Day School

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- For the first time, the California State Superintendent is recognizing Community Day Schools.

Several Central California locations were recognized, including Pathway Community Day School.

Students in class were solving for "x" and "y."

The Central Unified campus is home to students who are under expulsion or have extreme attendance issues.

"It's a small population, the classrooms are very small," Pathway Principal Jill Young said.

Young says when students come here, they are known by name.

Teachers, counselors, mentors and a behavior intervention specialist all personalize their education to make sure the students are successful.

That includes the student's social-emotional needs.

"Generally, when students are struggling at school, the social-emotional piece is what's interfering," Young said.

Raquel Campos' son is a junior at Pathway.

He was dealing with an expulsion and initially, Campos was not eager to have her son attend.

"I was totally against it. I was like, 'No, my son is too good for it.'" Campos said.

But she got to know the staff and decided to allow her son to give it a try.

"I end up falling for the whole school. I was just like 'You know what? They're for these kids.' I see that versus other schools that my son has attended," Campos said.

It was Pathway's dedication to their students and work with parents that was recently acknowledged.

For the first time, State Superintendent Tony Thurmond designated Model Community Day Schools throughout the state.

Pathway was one of them.

A statement said in part, "The inclusive approach to school governance fosters a sense of community and shared responsibility for student success."

"That was very exciting," Young said.

The recognition was made official as staff hung the plaque on the wall in the school's office.

Principal Young says they will continue to focus on student achievement and do whatever they can to keep students on the right path.

"Our job is to get them back to a regular comprehensive setting," Young said.

Since their designation, schools from across Central California and the state have been reaching out to Pathway to find out what they do that makes them so successful so they can implement them at their own schools.

Other Central Valley schools recognized included Lindsay Community Day School and Sanger Community Day School.

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