Students are returning today to classrooms with new furniture designed to emphasize individual student learning needs at K-8 campuses throughout the Manteca Unified School District.
It is just one of the major changes in store for the 2023-2024 school year.
Others include:
*Sometime during the school year, Manteca Unified is expected to surpass 25,000 students for the first time ever based on preliminary projections student growth will increase by roughly 300 new students.
*There are 97 new teachers with more on the way in the coming few weeks.
*The first Measure A projects — the $260 million school bond approved by voters in 2022 — will be underway. They include two-story classroom buildings at East Union and Manteca high schools.
*Girls flag football will join other interscholastic athletics offerings such as regular football, soccer, basketball, wrestling, volleyball, track, cross-county, tennis, and golf.
The $16 million worth of furniture upgrades that took place over summer vacation is viewed as a game changer by many teachers as well as administrators.
“It will bring energy to run incredible programs using the strong skills of teachers,” noted Victora Brunn, who serves as the district’s chief business and information officer.
The district refreshed classroom furniture from transitional kindergarten through 8th grade this summer using one-time federal COVID-19 relief fund as well as supplemental funds.
The cost doesn’t include science and music classrooms as well as high school classrooms that will take place in the future.
Superintendent Clark Burke said the furniture purchase was part of the ongoing district strategy to use one-time money such as the COVID relief funds to enhance long-range learning in a bid to be frugal — and efficient — with limited tax dollars.
The new furniture allows small group work addressing individual needs that educators say is a necessity for today’s learner.
It is part of the district’s strategy for critical learning recovery, due to issues the pandemic created.
The goal is to create an environment which encourages collaboration in safe spaces.
It also jettisons the traditional rigid rows of desks and allows for more individualized instruction.
The California Department of Education has indicated that classrooms designed to support active learning increases student engagement on multiple measures, as compared to traditional row-by-column classroom seating.
Experts say healthy movement, color, visual aids and interactive furniture facilitates student growth while helping children feel active and alert – even while seated.
Manteca Unified leaders indicated the flexible furniture is intended to help increase opportunities for student collaboration, allow for low-impact physical activity opportunities, and foster communication skills as well as support innovative pedagogy.
They indicated other aspects of the environment such as noise level, visual aids, color, temperature, room arrangement, access to supplies and many other variables are all important to support the learning environment. Research has shown that children who have access to healthy movement in the classroom are more likely to stay engaged and to have better attention and behavior.
Typically, classrooms furniture is replaced on an as needed basis. The new furniture will have warranties ranging from 10 to 15 years.
The current furniture will be repurposed at the schools in empty classrooms and the excess furniture will be recycled.
There are five different classroom designs using furniture. One for transitional kindergarten and kindergarten, one for first and second grades, one for third and fourth grades, one for fifth and sixth grades and one for seventh and eighth grades.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
