News Release
March 13, 2015
Contact: Jack Beresford, jberesford@sdccd.edu, 619-388-6540, @SDJackB
Linda Zintz, lzintz@sandi.net, 619-847-6637
San Diego Community College District and San Diego Unified School District Boards Hold Joint Session
The governing boards of the San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) and the San Diego Unified School District invite the public to attend a March 17 joint meeting that will focus on promoting student success from pre-kindergarten through college. The meeting is set to begin at 5 p.m. at Kearny High School, 7651 Wellington St., 92111.
The SDCCD and San Diego Unified educate more than 230,000 students combined. The SDCCD is the second-largest community college district in California and San Diego Unified is the second-largest K-12 system in the state.
The meeting’s purpose is to better coordinate curriculum between the two districts. Specific topics will include building on successful early/middle college high school programs and aligning mathematics and English courses to boost college readiness.
Also to be discussed is Assembly Bill 86, which provides grants to community colleges and secondary school districts to develop regional plans that better serve the educational needs of adults, including courses required for a high school diploma or high school equivalency certificate, citizenship and English as a second language (ESL) classes for immigrants, and short-term career technical education programs with high employment potential.
“The partnership between our two districts has already made an important difference in opportunities for K-12 students who are preparing for higher education,” said Constance M. Carroll, SDCCD Chancellor. “Whether these students intend to pursue an associate degree, a bachelor’s degree or a career in the near future, our very practical initiatives provide exactly the instructional pathways they need.”
San Diego Unified Superintendent Cindy Marten agreed.
“Whether our students are engaged in the Maker Movement at Qualcomm’s Thinkabit Lab or participating in our robust dual enrollment college programs with the San Diego Community College District, the world of college and career has never been more accessible, available and attainable for all students in San Diego Unified,” added Superintendent Marten.
The meeting comes as state legislators work on a 2015-16 budget proposed by Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr., that calls for substantial increases in education funding. The Governor’s budget provides a $1.1 billion increase for the California Community Colleges, of which the SDCCD would receive approximately $35 million. The proposed spending plan would increase the average per-pupil spending in the San Diego Unified from $9,361 this year to $9,667 for 2015-16.
The March 17 meeting will mark the fourth joint session since 2011.
As the second-largest of California’s 72 community college districts, the San Diego Community College District serves approximately 100,000 students annually through three two-year colleges and San Diego Continuing Education. The three colleges, San Diego City College, San Diego Mesa College, and San Diego Miramar College, offer associate degrees and certificates in occupational programs that prepare students for transfer to four-year colleges and entry-level jobs. Beginning fall 2015, Mesa College will also offer baccalaureate degrees in the field of Health Information Management.
The San Diego Unified School District serves approximately 130,000 students annually in preschool through high school, and it is the second-largest secondary school district in the state and is proud to call itself one of the top large urban school districts in the United States. Measures include its top scores on state and national tests, its leadership in areas such as technology, curriculum, neighborhood and specialty schools, career-technical education and food services. Its graduates include Hall of Fame sports stars, along with some of the nation's top scientists, writers, and leaders.
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