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El Rancho unveils esports pilot at Salazar High as a new engagement and CTE possibility
Summary
The board heard a presentation about an esports pilot at Reuben Salazar High School, with a lab, 25 machines purchased and student interest data; trustees expressed support and asked staff to explore CTE pathways and partnerships.
The El Rancho Unified School District presented an esports pilot for Reuben Salazar High School during its March 11 meeting.
Tony Hernandez, director of IT, said the district is launching a Salazar esports lab with 25 computers, a volunteer coach and plans to redesign the lab to ensure adequate power and network support. Student surveys presented by Salazar staff showed roughly one in four students interested in esports programming, and about one in three interested in competitive teams. Early steps include lab redesign, machine provisioning, programming the computers, securing a coach and exploring partnerships with organizations that support interscholastic competition.
Trustees and staff discussed turning the activity into a possible CTE pathway over time, partnering with outside organizations (PlayVersus, Lollipop Labs), and soliciting donations and grants to support sustainability. Trustee Perez donated funds to help equip the lab (board member mentioned in the meeting), and staff described visits to neighboring districts that already support esports and potential low‑cost local competitions that would limit transportation needs.
Board members reacted enthusiastically, noting esports can be a recruitment/retention tool tied to broader CTE ambitions and student engagement strategies. The board asked staff to report back on implementation steps and potential funding or partnership options.
