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Anaheim Union High School District opens LCAP season, cites gains for English learners and counselor staffing
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Summary
District leaders at the LCAP kickoff highlighted progress on plurilingual student supports, increased A-G and CTE completion, maintenance and modest expansion of counseling staff, and a new teacher agreement that includes class-size caps; officials announced hybrid sessions and next steps for community input.
The Anaheim Union High School District on Thursday opened its Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) season with a community session that officials said shows early wins in career and language instruction, counseling capacity and classroom staffing while outlining a hybrid schedule for the next round of input sessions.
District leaders presented outcomes tied to specific LCAP actions and described a three-part approach to data they call "satellite, map and street data." Diana Fujimoto, director of curriculum, instruction and professional learning, said A-G completion for English learners rose from 16.8% in 2023 to 28% in 2025 and that CTE pathway completion increased from 21.4% to 34.5%, figures she presented as evidence the district's career-exploration efforts are expanding student opportunities. "We are seeing strong gains for our English learners," Fujimoto said.
Why it matters: The LCAP is the district's three-year plan that links goals, actions and expenditures. Officials told attendees that the plan is intended to align district- and site-level planning (SPSAs) and that community input from these sessions will inform next year's priorities and the allocation of supplemental funding targeted to English learners and other high-need groups.
What leaders said they have done - Counseling: Lacey Monger, president of APGA and counselor on special assignment, said the district intentionally maintained 82 school counselors amid statewide enrollment shifts and added three positions after last year's LCAP feedback. "We did not lose anybody. As a matter of fact, we gained three more positions," Monger said, adding that lower counselor caseloads allow more one-on-one time and more individualized support. - Dual enrollment and college readiness: Monger and Fujimoto described a grant-supported expansion that added five dual-enrollment counselors; the district said those counselors helped double participation in dual-enrollment courses and increased passing rates for those courses. - English learners and career pathways: Fujimoto described expanded Saturday language academies, career-exploration lessons for ELD students and surveyed senior responses about the impact of those programs. - Labor and class size: Jeff Morgenstern, president of the Anaheim Secondary Teachers Association, said a new agreement will roll out for the 2026-27 school year that includes individual class-size caps in general education and PE, reduced special-education caseloads and lower caseloads for speech-language pathologists and nurses. "For the first time ever in this historic agreement, we had individual class size caps within general education," Morgenstern said.
Data approach and student voice Assistant Superintendent Amy Quan described the district's "street data" approach that supplements high-level outcome metrics with school- and classroom-level indicators and lived-experience information from students and families. Quan said the district's overall graduation rate is 94.3%, above county and state averages, and noted mixed results on standardized tests and subgroup outcomes. She emphasized that student survey responses sometimes diverge from traditional metrics; one quoted senior said some classes felt "more focused on passing tests than teaching real world skills."
Next steps and logistics Saldivar told attendees the district will run five sessions in total, will focus each session on a single LCAP goal, and will offer a hybrid option for meetings 2'4; the next session date announced was Feb. 5, with a closing session planned April 16. Attendees were asked to scan an attendance QR code so the district can follow up by email with group assignments and RSVP links.
What remains open District presenters framed many items as progress rather than final outcomes. Officials described expanded staffing and participation rates but did not announce specific permanent budget allocations beyond the current three-year plan cycle. Several student comments read at the meeting highlighted continued gaps in hands-on learning and personalized career experiences.
The district said it will use community input from the upcoming sessions and submit updated LCAP materials according to the state timetable.
