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Students, staff and community urge board to act as Highlands Community Charter faces mass layoffs
Summary
Scores of Highlands Community Charter and Technical Schools students, staff and community members told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday that a recent reinterpretation of teacher credentialing threatens more than 620 layoffs and services to thousands of adult learners in Sacramento County.
Dozens of students, staff and community supporters of Highlands Community Charter and Technical Schools asked the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors on May 13 to intervene after what speakers described as a reinterpretation of credentialing rules triggered mass layoffs. Speakers said more than 620 employees received layoff notices and that thousands of students — many immigrants, refugees and adults overcoming barriers — would lose access to education and workforce training.
Highlands staff and students described the school as a bridge to employment and stability. “Highlands represents a chance for meaningful employment and long-term stability,” said Thu Thao, who identified herself as a community employment liaison with Highlands Community Charter and Technical School. “Our students are adults overcoming barriers, reentering the workforce, and striving to break cycles of poverty through education.”
Speakers said the Commission on Teacher Credentialing now requires teachers at Highlands to hold K–12 credentials in order to qualify for funding, a change they described as sudden and disruptive. Isabelle Amezcua, student onboarding and records manager at Highlands, said the change will reduce the school’s capacity to roughly 3,300 students from the more than 13,000 the school said it serves annually, and could force reassignments of thousands of Department of Human Assistance (DHA) recipients who rely on Highlands as a referral partner.
Several classroom teachers, administrators and students described individual stories to the board: Afghan women who learned English and passed driving tests after enrolling, former students who later became staff, and parents whose children depend on classes for family stability. Rahula Babak, a student journalist at Highlands, said two Afghan women in her classroom reacted immediately when they heard about the possible closure: “One of them fainted in the class,” she said.
City and nonprofit advocates, including representatives of City of Refuge and workforce partners, said Highlands serves specialized needs — for refugees, justice-involved people, single parents and students with significant barriers — and pointed to the school’s role in connecting learners to local employers and job training programs. Speakers repeatedly asked the board to coordinate with state agencies, county departments and the school to seek solutions that keep the programs operating.
Board members said they were moved by the testimony and pledged to follow up. Supervisor Don Nottoli (vice chair) said staff would reach out to Highlands and report back; Supervisor Hume asked for a background report on the credentialing issue and any county stopgap measures. Several supervisors said they had already instructed staff to contact Highlands to gather details and identify possible short-term supports.
The board did not take formal action on the item during Tuesday’s meeting. Staff said they would open follow-up conversations with Highlands and return with options for the board to consider.
