Board approves ethnic-studies graduation requirement, allows embedded or standalone delivery

The Santa Ynez Valley Union High School District Board of Education voted to approve Policy 6,146.1 on Dec. 17, 2024, aligning the district with the state requirement to add ethnic studies to graduation requirements. Superintendent Kimberly Sheehan told the board, "This is an approval of grad requirements to include ethnic studies as a grad requirement by Ed Code." The board approved amended language to allow the requirement to be offered either as an embedded component of existing classes or as a standalone semester course.

At the second reading some board members pressed for fiscal clarity. A board member raised concerns about potential staffing costs if the district is required to offer a standalone class, saying, "I don't wanna pigeonhole us into having to have a teacher because it's the class and the requirements can be embedded in the already existing class." Superintendent Sheehan said the district will present curriculum choices in May and seek final approval in June; starting next year a pilot of the curriculum will begin for affected grades. The motion to approve the reading as changed was made, seconded, and carried by unanimous roll call.