Bud Rank Elementary Teacher Allison Vargas Passes Away

(Photo courtesy of the Allison Vargas GoFundMe page)

Sixth grade Bud Rank Elementary School teacher Allison Vargas died Feb. 6 after battling stage four colon cancer. She was 34 years old.

Vargas was a beloved teacher at Bud Rank. In 2019, her students raised more than $21,000 via a GoFundMe campaign to aid with medical expenses.

“She’s funny, sarcastic, and cares for all of her students,” Bud Rank Principal Ryan Gettman said of Vargas in April 2019. “As a former parent of hers, my son still considers her his favorite teacher.”

Clovis Unified School District said in a statement, “It is with a heavy heart that we learned the sad news of the passing of Bud Rank Elementary teacher Allison Vargas following a lengthy illness. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Vargas family, and all of those who knew and loved Allison. Her presence on campus had been missed this year, and the news hit staff and students hard. Our team of trained school psychologists responded to the school, and will continue to be available as needed to support the school community as they mourn the loss of a beloved teacher and friend..”

Vargas was put into hospice care in December 2019.

On Feb. 7, Bud Rank Elementary School students were encouraged to wear blue in remembrance of Vargas.

You can donate to her legacy fund on GoFundMe.

Ron Camacho was born and raised in Clovis. He attended Clovis High School and graduated from CSU Fresno in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communications and Journalism. Before joining the Roundup, Ron wrote for Pollstar Magazine and the Sanger Herald. He has a deep appreciation for the arts and is a lover of music, cinema and storytelling. When he’s not busy looking for his next story, Ron enjoys taking weekend expeditions to the beach or mountains to practice landscape photography.