Board keeps English 9 with ethnic studies as an optional offering after hours of student testimony

The San Dieguito Union High School District board voted Jan. 22 to continue listing English 9 honors with ethnic studies as an optional course that fulfills English graduation units, after a multihour public comment period in which students, parents and teachers urged the district to keep and expand the pilot.

District staff presented enrollment and classroom data showing the optional pilot was offered at all four comprehensive high schools this year, serving roughly 243 students across eight teachers. Staff described classroom practices — Socratic seminars, community identity portfolios and gallery walks — and said teachers requested additional novels to better reflect Asian‑American, Pacific Islander and Native American perspectives.

Student testimony was central to the meeting. Dozens of students came to the microphone to describe stronger engagement, improved writing and a sense of belonging in the course. “Ethnic studies does not tell students what to think. It teaches us how to think,” Tory Pines junior Mari Crajen told the board. Other students said the course broadened their critical thinking, improved analytical writing, and made school more relevant to students from diverse backgrounds.

Board members acknowledged the strong turnout. Superintendent Dr. Stfairy (as read in the public materials) explained that AB 101 — the state law establishing the ethnic‑studies graduation requirement — is contingent on legislative appropriation and that the governor’s initial budget proposal did not include funding for AB 101 implementation. Because the state has not yet appropriated funds, the district recommended listing the course as optional to preserve student choice and avoid immediate staffing or fiscal impacts.

Trustees debated enrollment and next steps. Enrollment by site during the pilot was: La Costa Canyon ~53 students, Canyon Crest ~51, Tory Pines ~40 and San Diego Academy ~99 (total ~243). Trustees discussed outreach and the course’s growth potential, noting the IB program at some schools likewise started small. After deliberations the motion to continue listing the course as an optional English 9 offering passed 4–1. One trustee expressed a preference for keeping the topic as an elective rather than embedding it as a mandatory ninth‑grade course.

The board recorded the decision as a policy action to list the course in future catalogs and to continue the optional pilot through the 2025–26 school year, while staff continue to monitor enrollment and pursue additional curricular refinements and professional learning for teachers.