The Anaheim Union High School District Board of Trustees heard a detailed presentation about the Orange View–Western 7–12 school redesign on the district agenda, with school leaders saying the redesigned campus will open next month.

School leaders said the redesign centers stronger relationships, early intervention and collaborative teaching. "AUHSD is the future of public education," said Shamila Castro, who identified herself as a Spanish teacher and community schools teacher lead at Western, describing the redesign as a way to "foster student voice, agency, and real world skills."

The presentation explained four "promising practices" the campus will use: a regular advisory period to ensure each student is known, a structured "kid talk" support process, grade-level teaching teams (including looping cohorts) and expanded collaborative planning time enabled by a block schedule. "We have the time to sit down and discuss instead of trying to have a conversation during passing period," one presenter said of the kid talk practice, which brings teachers and support staff together twice a month to identify students needing early supports.

Administrators described the week's rhythm under the new schedule. The week begins with an Anchor Day on Mondays, during which students see all eight of their classes in shorter periods; the remainder of the week runs on four-block days. "These are shorter periods, but each student will go through every single one of their periods, including advisory as a way to kick off the week," the co-principal said, and later added the anchor periods will be "approximately 35 to 40 minutes." Staff also said there will be two late-start days (Tuesdays and Thursdays) used for kid talk, advisory planning and standard professional learning.

Other changes include more opportunities for students to take advanced classes, earlier access to career and technical education pathways, the return of theater for some students and separate junior-high restrooms and PE/locker-room scheduling to address safety and developmental needs. "Every student will be seen, will be heard, their story known by a specific group of teachers," one leader said, describing the redesign as creating "a small town experience" inside a single campus.

District leaders who attended praised the site's inclusive process. Dr. Jaren Fried, who introduced the school team, told the board the site opted for a community-schools approach and thanked staff, parents and students for lengthy planning work. Several trustees asked clarifying questions about advisory content, the cadence of kid talk, and how the district would support staff during implementation; the presenters described advisory lessons as spanning three counseling domains — academic, college/career and social-emotional — and said teams would design grade- and cohort-specific lessons.

Board President Ron Hoshi and community speakers offered support: alumni and parent volunteers described local fundraising and alumni outreach planned for the opening, and trustees thanked the redesign committee for its multi-year work. School leaders emphasized that opening year one is a launch point. "Year 1 should not look like year 2," one presenter said, noting the plan is intended as an evolving, multi-year redesign.

The board did not take any formal action on the redesign at the meeting; the presentation served as an informational briefing ahead of the campus opening.