San Diego Union High posts strong 2025 Dashboard results; public asks for school-level safety data

At the Nov. 20 board meeting, Dr. Kelly Gilbert presented the 2025 California School Dashboard results, which she described as evidence the district’s Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) is yielding improvements.

Gilbert said the district is "blue and green" on nearly every local indicator, reporting increases in English language arts and math, a district graduation rate rising to 97.7% and declines in chronic absenteeism and suspensions. She tied the results to LCAP investments and site-level interventions and noted the dashboard now includes science indicators that would also place the district at a high performance level.

During public comment that followed, several speakers applauded the academic gains but raised concerns about whether high-level dashboard metrics obscure safety and school‑specific problems. Speakers demanded more school-level breakdowns, questioned whether restorative practices were being implemented consistently, and urged clear emergency protocols and immediate reporting to law enforcement when threats or violent behavior occur.

Rosie Higara and retired dispatch supervisor Mary Davis each told trustees they were grateful for strong academic indicators but wanted the board to prioritize student safety and provide transparent per‑school statistics on incidents, reporting and responses.

What’s next: Staff said it will continue reviewing dashboard data at the school‑site level, use results to inform LCAP midyear adjustments, and provide more granular data to sites and school‑site councils. Speakers requested clearer communication of safety protocols and suggested including police notification steps in district procedures.