| The district serving Sacramento Schools is 150 | | | | Sacramento Schools. The celebrations that are |
| years old. The start of Sacramento’s school | | | | held on Independence day is a particularly |
| system was February 20, 1854, and began on the | | | | dangerous time of the year for Sacramento |
| corner of 5th and K Streets. There were two | | | | Schools. Not only are they unoccupied, but they |
| teachers, one male and one female, to teach | | | | are at greater risk from fire and arson, resulting |
| approximately 50 boys and 40 girls aged seven | | | | from careless or even malicious use of fireworks. |
| through nine. Because of the new constitution for | | | | Sacramento Schools have spent literally thousands |
| California written in 1849, which included | | | | of dollars after the July 4th holiday to clean up |
| guaranteed funding for public education and an | | | | and repair the damage done by vandals and |
| elected superintendent, the Sacramento Public | | | | fireworks to Sacramento Schools campuses. |
| Schools were able to open. Sacramento High | | | | Neighbors of the schools and business owners |
| School, which opened in 1856, is the second oldest | | | | have been asked to call the city police or |
| high school west of the Mississippi. The first | | | | sheriff’s department if they notice anyone |
| kindergarten began in 1895. | | | | vandalizing Sacramento Schools property. They |
| Over the years, attendance at Sacramento | | | | also want to know if anyone is seen on a campus |
| Schools grew and grew. Now among the 10 | | | | with lighters, matches or fireworks. In addition, the |
| largest school districts in California, Sacramento | | | | police department stepped up the patrols around |
| Schools serve around 50,000 K-12 students, and | | | | Sacramento Schools in an attempt to discourage |
| 20,000 adult education students. 3,000 teachers | | | | would-be vandals from attacking the schools. |
| and 3,000 non-classified teaching employees work | | | | It is interesting to see that the police and the |
| for the school. (Non-classified employees do | | | | leaders of Sacramento Schools are utilizing the |
| clerical/technical, maintenance, classroom support, | | | | community’s help in this manner. Community |
| nutrition, and transportation work.) | | | | involvement in the schools typically takes the |
| An interesting turn of events occurred in | | | | form of donations of time, money, and supplies. |
| Sacramento in the summer of 2007. In an effort | | | | How nice for the community to be able to simply |
| to protect the campuses, district officials and local | | | | use themselves – more specifically their eyes |
| law enforcement turned to the public to keep an | | | | and ears – to help look out for their |
| eye on the unoccupied schools over the summer. | | | | neighborhood Sacramento Schools. |
| The weekends surrounding the Fourth of July | | | | It is unknown, at the time this article was written, |
| were the particular dates that they asked | | | | if the increased police presence and the vigilance |
| neighbors and community members to keep an | | | | of neighbors and business owners helped to |
| eye on schools. | | | | discourage the fires and vandalism that had |
| Apparently, in years past, the 4th of July has | | | | occurred in years past. |
| brought on a rash of fires and vandalism to | | | | |