ESCONDIDO –
The Escondido high school district is moving forward with plans to build “learning centers” at its three big high schools to help students who have failed classes and need to catch up on credits.
The learning centers were among the topics discussed at a special school board workshop Tuesday night, at which trustees reviewed the budget and goals for the district.
The Escondido Union High School District is financially stable despite flattening enrollment, staff members told the board. The district grew from about 7,200 students to more than 8,200 in the past six years, but it is expected to only grow by about 200 students in the next four.
Superintendent Ed Nelson said increasing academic achievement for all students remains the district's priority.
Trustees previously approved a contract with an architectural firm to design campus learning centers for existing schools, and a contract with a consulting firm to conduct a feasibility study of using district property on Midway Drive for a proposed small academy-type high school. Trustees will get a report on the Midway proposal next month.
The learning centers would probably be stand-alone buildings at the Escondido, Orange Glen and San Pasqual high school campuses, and open for the 2008-09 school year. The centers would have their own staff, including a counselor, to help students catch up on credits without leaving their home campuses.
Escondido and Orange Glen started small-scale versions of the learning centers at the start of the current school year, and San Pasqual started one at the beginning of the second semester. The programs serve students who have failed algebra, but the larger planned centers would offer classes in more subjects.
On another topic, trustees said they want an update on San Pasqual High School's freshman academy, which began in the fall. The school-within-a-school was designed to ease the transition from middle school to high school and decrease dropout rates and behavioral problems while improving attendance and test scores.
Nelson cautioned trustees about reading too much into any preliminary data from the new program.
“Any data on the freshman academy would provide a pretty narrow snapshot, and it may be premature to use it as an evaluation; . . . it's going to take some time,” Nelson said.
Blanca Gonzalez: (760) 737-7576; blanca.gonzalez@uniontrib.com
