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Students tell board SEL should be voluntary and urge redirecting Navigate 360 funds to student programs
Summary
ASB leaders criticized required, graded SEL classes and asked trustees to reconsider mandating SEL and to reallocate an estimated $25,000to33,000 spent on the Navigate 360 program toward sports, clubs and program funding that directly serve students.
Student leaders from Barstow High School told the board they have concerns about how social-emotional learning (SEL) is implemented and funded. Savannah Francisco, ASB vice president, said SEL "is an idea that sounds great on paper" but that making it a graded, mandatory class pressures students to discuss feelings and can be counterproductive for those who need support.
Francisco urged that SEL be offered as an optional resource for students seeking support rather than as a required and graded course. She said the district appears to be spending about $25,000 to $33,000 over 36 months on the Navigate 360 platform and suggested that money could instead support extracurriculars that students prioritize, including cheer, band, baseball, robotics, drama and other clubs.
Class officers also raised concern that removing a seventh period for SEL late in the year would force schedule changes for seniors and juniors who had already selected courses, potentially reducing opportunities to take career-technical or elective classes. "If you take that period away, you're also taking away the opportunity for other students like me... to complete a class for credits," one student said.
District staff did not announce any immediate schedule changes or funding reallocation at the meeting; trustees thanked students for raising these concerns and acknowledged they would consider student input.
