Dr. Bill Sorensen, principal of La Jolla Community High School, told the Tolleson Union High School District governing board in January 2025 that the campus has shown measurable gains in classroom observations, ACT and AP participation and lower failure rates, and he outlined a plan to pursue authorization as an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School.

Sorensen said the school’s mission — “post secondary success through high levels of learning” — drives teacher collaboration, classroom visits and unit planning that he credited for recent improvements. He asked the board for support to begin community outreach as part of the IB application and candidacy process but did not request an immediate vote.

Sorensen presented specific measures he said show progress: La Jolla aims to conduct more than 1,800 classroom observations this year and had completed about 705 as of Dec. 15 (about 40 percent of the goal); the school reported reductions in failure rates for several teachers from the 2021–22 school year to 2023–24; and AP test registrations rose from 376 to 762 to 858 over a recent multi‑year span. He also told the board that, in the state accountability calculations he reviewed, a one‑ or two‑student record change can affect the campus label and that his staff is pursuing records corrections and appeals where appropriate.

On the IB proposal, Sorensen described a “school within a school” model that would give students a voluntary IB pathway rather than converting the entire campus. He said La Jolla would apply for the Middle Years Programme (MYP) for ninth and tenth graders and the Diploma Programme for 11th and 12th graders, with a target implementation in either fall 2026 or fall 2027 depending on how long candidacy and authorization take. He explained the cost components the school has identified: a program application fee (listed by staff as $4,000 per program), a candidacy/consulting fee (about $9,500 per program), variable professional development costs for teachers (face‑to‑face trainings staff cited at roughly $850–$1,200 per person; online options lower), and an annual authorized‑school fee that would begin after verification and authorization. Sorensen said student exam fees are similar to AP test fees and that the district office has helped subsidize some costs for students.

Board members asked questions about feeder alignment, staffing and community outreach. Vice President Steven Chapman and others expressed support for adding programmatic options on campuses; several trustees said the proposal could aid recruitment and give families more choices. Board members did not take a formal vote on the IB candidacy request during the meeting; Superintendent Jeremy Keiser and staff were asked to work with Sorensen on next steps and to alert the board if the school needs district assistance.

Paperwork and timeline details that Sorensen provided: the IB application can be brief or lengthy depending on preparation; candidacy typically takes one to two years; professional development and an IB coordinator would be required if La Jolla proceeds; and the school expects to recruit interested teachers as part of the application process. Sorensen said staff and teachers surveyed earlier showed substantial interest in IB instruction and that the school will begin community engagement required for candidacy after receiving board encouragement.

The presentation included examples of student recognition and teacher supports that Sorensen said align with IB teaching approaches — interdisciplinary units, the “approaches to learning” focus and opportunities such as extended essays and creativity/service activities in the Diploma Programme. Sorensen emphasized the school was not proposing IB as a replacement for AP or dual‑enrollment offerings: “It’s IB and AP and dual enrollment,” he said, arguing the programs can coexist.

No formal action was taken; the board directed staff to coordinate with the principal and return with any requests for district resources that arise during the application and community‑engagement phase.