News & Announcements

11/15/2021 - COVID-19 Pediatric Vaccines: Answering Your Questions scheduled for Nov. 16 and Nov. 17

11/04/2021 - After School Pediatric Vaccination Clinics to start Nov. 9

10/15/2021 -

10/13/2021 - Dr. Steve Herrington, Sonoma County superintendent of schools, announces retirement

10/01/2021 - County superintendent has issued the following statement in response to Gov. Newsom’s announcement of future vaccine mandates for kids:

09/28/2021 - The following article by County Superintendent Steve Herrington was published as a commentary in the Press Democrat on Sept. 26, 2021.

09/03/2021 - The Sonoma County Office of Education (SCOE) is in the process of creating a Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (Plan). The Plan identifies a range of natural hazards with the potential to significantly impact SCOE facilities as well as all of the facilities within each of the SCOE districts. The Plan provides a list of mitigation action items that will be used in the future to reduce impacts from the identified hazards.

09/02/2021 -

Welcome to National Preparedness Month, version 2021. We take time each September to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies that could happen at any time. The 2021 theme is “Prepare to Protect. Preparing for disasters is protecting everyone you love.” This is never more important than it is today. A lot has happened in the last year and a half: pandemic, civil unrest, record-breaking wildfires, earthquakes, extreme heat events, public safety power shut offs, and now a drought. It is crucial now more than ever to ensure that our families and communities are prepared for whatever comes our way.

So, to protect your loved ones, here are 5 easy steps to be disaster ready:

08/25/2021 - This year's Spotlight on Sonoma County Schools: Building Equitable Schools serves as a call to action for schools in Sonoma County to listen to the voices and perspectives of their diverse students to ensure that their programs and curriculum are helping all students to feel safe and thrive.

08/25/2021 -

08/23/2021 - County of Sonoma and Sonoma County Office of Education Announce Local Recommendations to Mitigate COVID-19 on Campus

08/12/2021 -

As you may have heard, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on August 11 that California will require public schools to verify that workers are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or be tested regularly. Unvaccinated workers will be required to participate in weekly COVID-19 testing and will be required to wear appropriate personal protective equipment, including face coverings.

08/11/2021 - On Wednesday, Aug. 11, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that California will require California schools to verify that workers are fully vaccinated or be tested for COVID-19 at least once a week. This order applies to all public and private schools serving students in transitional kindergarten through grade 12. Dr. Steve Herrington, Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools, responded by committing to working closely with the Sonoma County Health Officer to support schools around Sonoma County in understanding and implementing this new guidance, which is intended to add an additional layer of protection for students and staff as classes reopen.

08/09/2021 - English and Spanish-language webinars to address questions about COVID-19 vaccinations for youth and feature local pediatricians.

07/13/2021 - On Monday afternoon, July 12, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) released its COVID-19 guidelines for the 2021-22 school year. These rules are meant to safely open schools for full-time in-person instruction this fall, and are expected to be reassessed by the state by Nov. 1, based on vaccination rates, virus case rates, and testing rates.

All California schools—public, charter, and private—are required to follow this state guidance as they plan for their fall reopenings.

“This guidance from the state will help schools plan for a safe and effective start to the school year,” said Steve Herrington, Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools at the Sonoma County Office of Education (SCOE). “At the same time, some questions remain about important operational practices, such as how schools should address students who do not wear masks, and testing and quarantine policies. We hope for additional state guidance and clarification in these areas.”

06/28/2021 - Three Sonoma County teachers are being honored through the Sonoma County Teacher of the Year program (part of the California Teacher of the Year program) for their exemplary, creative, and effective work serving students and supporting families through the unprecedented challenges presented during the 2020-21 school year by the pandemic, the Sonoma County Office of Education (SCOE) announced Monday.

06/17/2021 - President Biden has declared Juneteenth, which falls on Saturday June 19, 2021, a federal holiday.  This law becomes effective immediately. Because public schools are required to observe federal holidays, SCOE offices and classes will be closed tomorrow, Friday June 18, in observance of the holiday on June 19. 

06/15/2021 - The Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, and Sonoma Superintendents of Schools, in collaboration with the Public Health Officers in their respective counties, on Tuesday affirmed their support for full in-person instructional programs in classrooms for all grades in the fall with the continued use of face coverings and other mitigation strategies, if indicated by state and local health authorities at the time. County superintendents are reaffirming this position that they have held for some time now as the state reopens its economy and numerous county health officers signal their support for full-time in person learning as well.

05/11/2021 - Carrie Boyce, a first-grade teacher at Bellevue Elementary School in Bellevue Union School District, has been named Sonoma County Teacher of the Month for April 2021.

05/04/2021 -

05/04/2021 -

04/20/2021 - Following is a statement by County Superintendent Steve Herrington on the Derek Chauvin trial and recent current events that resurfaced issues around racism and social justice.

04/06/2021 - Brittany Machado, a 7th/8th grade math teacher at Brook Haven Middle School in Sebastopol Union School District, has been named Sonoma County Teacher of the Month for March 2021.

04/02/2021 -

04/01/2021 -

Sonoma County Office of Education (SCOE) has launched a countywide campaign to build community awareness of Teacher Appreciation Week, May 3-7, and to showcase some of the exemplary teachers working in local public schools during these challenging times. The campaign is sponsored by a number of community partners, including Community First Credit Union, Exchange Bank, Redwood Empire School Insurance Group, Redwood Credit Union, Santa Rosa Junior College, and School & College Legal Services.

03/23/2021 - Following the new Centers for Disease Control guidelines about social distancing, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued updated guidance for schools on Saturday, March 20. Under these changes, schools are now allowed to set up classrooms with a minimum of three feet of distance, rather than six, between student chairs. This is intended to provide schools and districts greater flexibility and options for bringing students back to in-person instruction.

03/22/2021 - In response to new Centers for Disease Control guidelines about social distancing, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) on Saturday issued their updated guidance for schools.

03/18/2021 - The following statement from County Superintendent Steve Herrington calls on all educators to stand in solidarity with the Asian American/Pacific Islander community following recent acts of violence and bigotry.

03/17/2021 - Nearly all school staff in Sonoma County have been offered the opportunity to schedule their first vaccine appointment, the Sonoma County Office of Education (SCOE) estimated Wednesday.

03/16/2021 - Carta comunitaria: el camino a seguir para las escuelas

03/15/2021 - Following is a letter from Dr. Steve Herrington.

03/12/2021 - Following is our weekly update on the progress of school staff vaccines

03/08/2021 - Pedro De Luna, a first-grade teacher at Cali Calmecac Language Academy in Windsor Unified School District, has been named Sonoma County Teacher of the Month for February 2021.

03/05/2021 - Please see the following March 5 community update on school staff vaccines.

03/01/2021 - An interagency partnership between Sen. Mike McGuire, Santa Rosa City Schools, and the Sonoma County Office of Education (SCOE) has secured codes for 1,500 vaccines for elementary school staff in the Santa Rosa area to continue the vaccination schedule for school employees in an elementary school setting.

03/01/2021 -

02/25/2021 - Following is a message from SCOE providing a community update on school staff vaccines.

02/25/2021 - Les escribimos para informarles sobre los esfuerzos de vacunación del personal escolar de la Oficina de Educación del Condado de Sonoma (SCOE). Si bien ha habido retrocesos, estamos entusiasmados y alentados por los progresos realizados hasta ahora.

01/29/2021 -

01/15/2021 - SCOE and Sonoma County Department of Health Services announce COVID-19 immunization plan for school staff

01/15/2021 - La SCOE y el Departamento de Servicios de Salud del Condado de Sonoma anuncian un plan de vacunación contra la COVID-19 para el personal escolar

01/14/2021 - Sonoma County’s 2019-20 graduation rates rose to 83.4 percent from 81.9 percent the previous year, reversing a downward trend.

01/08/2021 - The following is a statement from the Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools on the Insurrection at the Capitol.

01/08/2021 - Declaración del Superintendente de Escuelas del Condado de Sonoma sobre la Insurrección en el Capitolio

01/07/2021 - The Sonoma County Office of Education’s Educational Support Services team has collected resources for educators, parents, and guardians to take advantage of if and when they decide to discuss the current civil unrest with their children.

01/04/2021 - Governor Newsom recently announced his pledge to advance, with the Legislature, California's Safe Schools for All Plan. The plan is built on four pillars: funding to support safe reopening, safety and mitigation measures for classrooms, hands-on oversight and assistance for schools, and transparency and accountability for families and staff. Details of the plan can be found here.

12/16/2020 - Anne Cozza, a kindergarten-first grade teacher at Mary Collins at Cherry Valley School in Petaluma City Schools School District, has been named Sonoma County Teacher of the Month for November/December 2020.

12/08/2020 - On Thursday, Gov. Newsom announced a new Stay-at-Home order that tightens restrictions on business and personal activities in regions of the state where hospital ICU capacity drops below 15 percent.

11/10/2020 - John Menth, a sixth-grade teacher at San Miguel Charter School in Mark West Union School District, has been named Sonoma County Teacher of the Month for October 2020.

10/30/2020 - Burbank Elementary teacher one of seven finalists for the prestigious honor statewide

Santa Rosa City Schools’ sixth grade teacher Ross Hause has been named one of just seven finalists for 2021 California Teacher of the Year, State Superintendent of Instruction Tony Thurmond announced Wednesday.