Politics & Government
Belle Haven School Community Director Departing
Uncertainty surrounds the nature of his departure during a time when the Ravenswood City School District and the Ciity of Menlo Park are restructuring their personnel.
Community School Director at Belle Haven School in Menlo Park, announced Thursday that he is leaving his post, after five years of employment in the Ravenswood City School District.
Vilches made the announcement at meeting at the school.
“We have some had challenges and triumphs along the way and through it all we’ve been able to come together…by staying informed and committed to the work of the community school approach,” Vilches said of his time in the district.
The reasons for his departure from the school remain unclear. Vilches is an employee of the City of Menlo Park who was placed in the school to build bridges between members of a multicultural community. During his tenure in the district, he created programs designed to help the community prevent gun violence, identify safe routes to school for children who want to walk or bike there, and partnered with Facebook to do outreach in Spanish.
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The City of Menlo Park’s administrative offices were closed on Friday April 19, as they are every other Friday, to cut costs. The Director of Human Resources could not be reached for comment. The city's website does not list his position as available.
The district is brainstorming ways to preserve the programs he fostered during his employment and what the next steps for the school will be, said Assistant Superintendent for the Ravenswood City School District. He said he was not sure if the City would be replacing Vilches.
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“How the public’s going to be brought into this is still being discussed,” Lovelace told Patch.
Meetings facilitated by Patricia Brown, Executive Director of Redwood City 2020, are scheduled for April 29, May 7, and May 23, according to Lovelace.
In an email sent Friday morning, Vilches encouraged parents and teachers who want to know more about the sitution at the school to contact members of the Belle Haven Executive Team with their concerns.
The Belle Haven Community School Executive Team is:
Rosanna Palomo, Belle Haven Principal
Marco Chavez, Ravenswood City School District Trustee
Cherise Brandell, Director of Community Services, City of Menlo Park
Derek Schweigart, Asst. Director of Community Services, City of Menlo Park
Michelle Vilchez, Executive Director, Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center
Sara Larios-Mitchell, Executive Director, StarVista Agency
Lara Fox, Director After-School Programs, Boys and Girls Club
Natasha Bourbonnais, Interim Manager, Human Services Agency
Maria De La Vega, Ravenswood City School District Superintendent
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