From Dr. Buitrago:
"When I started work as your superintendent over the summer, I found myself reconnecting to my childhood in deeper ways than I could have in previous positions. It wasn’t just that I had returned to Modesto, the community I grew up in. It was more than that: I was thrown into experiences that made me fully see my own childhood - and my mother’s experience as an MCS parent.
Some of my first experiences as your superintendent have been at communitywide events, whether they were organized by MCS or by other organizations. Like many of you, I have witnessed hundreds - in one case, thousands - of residents looking for help, be it a backpack, school supplies, a food giveaway, or a referral for a county resource or service. I have been moved to tears more than once at these events – and at our Board of Education
meetings, where I meet families who are briefly distracted from their struggles when their child is receiving a character education award or other recognition.
My own life experience informs my service as your superintendent and keeps me laser-focused on working toward an education system that gives every student every opportunity every day. To that end, we have a lot going for us in Modesto, including families as educational partners who have a deep desire to see their children succeed.
We have many dedicated teachers and staff, a committed Board of Education, and a district that is operationally and financially sound. Most importantly, we have AMAZING students accomplishing great things every day, while simultaneously demonstrating tremendous potential to achieve success in the future.
At the same time, we are navigating significant challenges, including trust between the district and its labor partners, and in some cases, between the district and staff, parents, and families. We must also do much more to improve our culture, both for students and for staff. This report communicates these insights and more; namely, you will find a plethora of quantitative data along with summaries of listening sessions and observations.
I am clear-eyed, but also very hopeful. I am confident our best days are ahead, especially if we come together and pave the way to bright futures for every student - regardless of disability, gender, race, ethnicity, language, socio-economic status, among other factors that shape who they are and what they need. "
Please see here for the full report.
To access the Appendix documents mentioned in this report, please see below:
100-Day Report
Staff Focus Groups
Student Listening Sessions Findings 2025
Family Listening Sessions Findings 2025
State of the District Survey 2025