Board approves graduation-rule change to help CTE students complete pathways
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Summary
After debate about student choice and long-term program impacts, the Santa Rosa board approved a revision to BP 6146 to allow students pursuing CTE industry certifications to waive certain course requirements so they can complete pathways; the second reading passed in a 4-1 roll-call vote.
The Santa Rosa City Schools board voted Feb. 25 to adopt revisions to Board Policy 6146 (high-school graduation requirements) intended to make Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways easier to complete. The change allows students pursuing an industry-recognized CTE completion to waive the third year of math and the second year of visual and performing arts or world language when that waiver helps them meet pathway completion requirements.
A staff presenter explained the revision "allows any student who wishes to pursue CTE all the way through what's called an industry completion. It allows them to waive the third year of math and the second year of visual and performing arts," and said the revision was meant to clean up prior policy language and avoid procedural roadblocks that were delaying or complicating pathway completions. The staff presentation noted the revision aligns with the California Department of Education's guidance on CTE sequencing and would help counselors guide students into appropriate course sequencing.
Trustee Jenkins moved to deny and table the policy change pending more discussion about marketing, program access and the district's secondary design; Jenkins expressed concern that locking students into 7-12 campus models could limit student choice if not accompanied by stronger intra-district transfer marketing. Superintendent August and staff said a working group and outreach are planned and that not acting could jeopardize some students' ability to graduate this year because the policy cleanup instead of a time-consuming waiver process would remove barriers for students already on a CTE trajectory.
Trustee Kirby moved to approve the second reading; the motion passed on a roll-call vote (four ayes, one nay). Board members asked staff to return with clear communication and marketing plans for CTE pathways and to monitor implementation so the policy does not unintentionally reduce options for students in other programs.
The board scheduled further outreach on program advertising and said it plans to review the policy's implementation and any impacts as the working group and enrollment data are updated.