2020 Bonar Street, Suite 112, Berkeley, CA 94702
Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
The Mission of the BUSD Student Services Department
The purpose of public education is to prepare students with the skills and abilities that are requisite to be a successful contributing member of society. To ensure that all students have a means to acquiring these skills and abilities, a school district must be intentional in the support that it provides to students, staff, and other stakeholders. One of the most important undertakings that a community can engage in is educating its children. The Student Services department is an integral piece to achieving the district’s goals.
Therefore, the mission of the Student Services department is the facilitation of systems and practices, including comprehensive programs that support the “whole child”. The Student Services department supports student achievement by removing barriers that impede a student’s ability to access the learning. The department is committed to applying systems and practices in a manner that is supportive, inclusive, and complies with board policies. The Student Services department includes the following areas to provide coordinated services to students and parents/guardians:
● Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS / School Climate)
● Support for Children in Foster Care
● Support for children who are legally homeless per McKinney-Vento
● Positive Behavior Matrix (Interventions, Alternative Means of Correction, student
Conduct)
● Section 504
● Partnership programs that provide school-based behavioral support and interventions
(Mental Health and Wellness)
● Attendance, Truancy, and Chronic Absenteeism
● School Attendance Review Board
● Gender Marker / Name Change
● Student Records
● School Climate, Health and Learning Surveys – CA Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS), CA
School Staff Survey (CSSS), and CA School Parent Survey (CPSP)
● Comprehensive School Safety Plans
● Tobacco Use Prevention Education
Dr. Phillip Shelley, Director, Student Services
Phone: 510-644-6316 | Email: phillipshelley@berkeley.net
Denise Diggs-Ray, Administrative Assistant III
Phone: 510-883-5224 | Email: denisediggsray@berkeley.net
Aiesha Lockett, Student Welfare and Attendance Specialist
Phone: 510-644-7775 | Email: aieshalockett@berkeley.net
Amelia Lewis, HOPE/McKinney-Vento Counselor
Phone: 510-644-6529 | Email: amelialewis@berkeley.net
Michelle Reece, Climate and Culture TSA
Phone: (510) 486-8012, ext. 77804 | Email: michellereece@berkeley.net
Rosina Keren, District Mental Health Coordinator
Phone: (510) 486-9354 | Email: rosinakeren@berkeley.net
Department Overview
The Office of Student Services provides services and support for students, parents and guardians, and school communities in Berkeley Unified School District.
The Berkeley Unified School District values the input and feedback of our diverse students, parents and guardians, staff and community members. For concerns related to a specific school, community members are encouraged to contact the school principal as the first step. Information is provided below regarding filing formal complaints in Berkeley Unified.
More information is available on the Complaint Procedures webpage.
The Student Services department includes the following areas to provide coordinated services to students and parents/guardians:
- Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS / School Climate)
- Positive Behavior Matrix (TK – 5th grade)
- Positive Behavior Matrix (6 – 12th grade)
- Support for children in Foster Care (Child Welfare and Juvenile Probation)
- Support for children who are legally homeless per McKinney Vento.
- Section 504 Plans
- Student Discipline – Suspensions, Recommended Expulsions
- Student Discipline – Alternatives to suspension.
- Gender Marker / Name Change (students who are transgender)
- Partnership Programs (Universities, Public Agencies, Community-Based Organizations) that provide school-based behavioral support and interventions
- Student Records
- 2022-23 Parent-Student Handbook
- 2022-23 Parent-Student Handbook (Spanish)
Sample California Healthy Kids Questionnaire
Elementary School Questionnaire (BUSD 5th grade to participate)
Middle School Questionnaire (BUSD 7th grade to participate)
High School Questionnaire (BUSD 9th and 11th grade to participate)
School Attendance
Every minute of a child’s time at school is important. Children who are absent for even a half of a school day, or who arrive later than their classmates, miss valuable instruction time and can easily fall behind in school. They also miss community building activities and fun with their peers.
Student Services staff work with principals, teachers, students, families and caregivers to increase student attendance and reduce absences from school.
Please note that BUSD calculates the time a student attends school (rate of attendance). This rate includes both excused and unexcused absences. Every school day counts. Thank you for helping to ensure that each student arrives at school on time and ready to learn.