ABC Unified board adopts modified plan to keep Whitney on one campus, adds limited permit seats

The ABC Unified School District board voted 7-0 on Feb. 17 to adopt a modified B1 configuration for Whitney High School, keeping middle and high school students together on one campus while adjusting grade-level enrollment caps and allowing limited out-of-district permit seats.

Supporters of the modified plan said preserving Whitney as a single campus protects longstanding mentorship and academic continuity between seventh graders and seniors. "Keep Whitney whole," teachers and alumni urged during a lengthy public-comment period. Teachers presented a detailed variant of B1 that would hold grades 6— at 165 students per grade, set grades 9—12 at 175 students per grade, and permit roughly 20—3 permit seats per grade (board later approved up to 23 permits per grade in the final motion).

The board amended the staff proposal during debate to preserve district resident access while allowing the limited permit slot program. The adopted motion includes a proposed eligibility condition for permit seats: students must have established residency in ABC Unified for at least three years before applying for the Whitney admissions test. The board recorded the vote after extended discussion and a high volume of public testimony from Whitney teachers, alumni, parents and students, who described how campuswide programstheatre, robotics, science olympiad and joint electivesoperate across grades 7—2.

Opponents warned of operational risks and equity concerns. Some speakers, including teachers and city residents, cautioned that moving middle schoolers off-campus (an alternative presented as Option C) would fracture daily programming, create transportation and safety complications across neighborhood streets, and reduce instructional minutes for middle-school students. Outside researchers testified that moving sixth grade into middle schools can have districtwide implications for elementary enrollment and student outcomes.

Board members said the adopted compromise aimed to balance Whitneycommunity priorities with districtwide fiscal and enrollment realities. The board directed staff to develop implementation details, including facilities needs (modular classrooms where required), traffic and safety plans, and admissions procedures reflecting the residency limitation and testing timeline.

Next steps: staff will return with facility scoping, budget estimates and a timeline for admissions changes and portables. The board emphasized that final schedules, course offerings and staffing will be refined before the plan's first operational year.