West Sacramento adult‑ESL teacher urges district to support displaced learners after Highlands restructuring

Sarah Dwan, an ESL teacher and site lead at Highlands Community Charter School, used public comment to warn trustees that a restructuring at Highlands will eliminate much of the school’s adult English instruction and lay off hundreds of staff.

"Highlands is laying off around 500 employees and including me. Our last day is Monday. The school is shrinking from serving 13,000 students to about 3,300 in this coming school year," Dwan told the board, describing the immediate displacement of roughly 300 adult ESL students who will need local options.

Dwan said local alternatives are limited: Sacramento City College does not offer beginning‑level ESL, and Washington Adult School has reduced in‑person frequency and has long wait lists. She said she had alerted the director of Washington Adult School about the incoming students but urged the district to prioritize adult‑education capacity so displaced learners and their children are supported.

"When parents improve their English, their children do better in school," Dwan said, urging the board to consider adult ESL as a district priority that supports family engagement and student achievement.

Board members acknowledged the concern and asked staff to follow up. Trustees and staff said they will explore how Washington Unified can help absorb displaced adult learners and how to communicate options and capacity to the community.

Next steps: staff indicated coordination with Washington Adult School and follow‑up with trustees; no formal board action was taken at this meeting.