New Santa Barbara school year starts with multiple paths to college and jobs

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The Santa Barbara Unified School District has a road map set for students at all levels to launch a college career successfully or get into a vocation on a faster track than in the past.

This is the first week of school. It's a fresh start across the board for many students at their new grade level, but for seniors, it is a pathway to many opportunities beyond high school when they graduate in June of 2025.

Superintendent Hilda Maldonado walked across the Santa Barbara High School campus and said each high school has some specialized classes that stand out.

 The newest building at Santa Barbara High School is for the Visual Arts and Design Academy ( VADA ).   It has high ceilings,  moveable tables and is patterned after a large spaceous workplace.     

VADA Program Director Daniel Barnett said,  "am I in a college classroom or am I in the Deckers design headquarters or something like that? That's the experience we want our students to have."  He says it shows the students an investment is made in their future.   The school is working with major local companies to create the appropriate education areas that will be similar to the real work place.

Santa Barbara High Senior Martha Patterson said, "it feels really good to have a new space and it feels fresh. I feel lucky that it was ready by my senior year."  She plans to focus on art and architecture in the coming years.   In her VADA classroom the shelves are fully stocked with supplies ready to be opened and put to creative use.

Santa Barbara High has an enrollment this year of about 1950. 500 are freshmen.

At San Marcos High, a Health Career Academy offers learning in three key areas: patient care, community care, and mental health care.

Dos Pueblos High has an honored engineering program and upgraded journalism program with modern video gathering and editing equipment.

"So we are working our students on really applying yourself academically and being ready for a career after high school  whatever that may be," said Santa Barbara High School Principal Fred Razo.

On all campuses instructors say, it's an evolving process to connect successfully with students each year for a variety of reasons.

 Maldonado said, "they're 21st  century learners and as part of us delivering those messages we are going to try lots of different channels until we get t the same message that we align with as  leaders and teachers."

A sense of belonging is essential for academic success on all levels and Maldonado hopes on and off campus there's support in many areas.

"I  want parents to help us  to encourage the student  to really try to join one club, one sport, one activity, one art."

Santa Barbara High Senior Xavier Moreno said he is looking forward to collaborating with other students and have success together. "Really get to know people and I think the people you become friends with can guide you along the way to your journeys," he said.

Razo says he will be out with the students on a regular basis. "I like being out  seeing our students, making contact with them, building that relationship and that's really what we are about."

Santa Barbara High School is celebrating its 100th anniversary at the Anapamu site with a landmark main building.

On the 100th anniversary Moreno, said, "I  always tell my mom instead of saying I am graduating in 2025, I graduated on the 100th anniversary of this school. "

The school and graduates plan special events.   "There's a lot of history there with the 100 years coming forward so and we are all excited   and the alumni association and everyone that joined this school community ,I love that, and once a Don always Don! " said Razo.

Students heading to graduation are being offered some of the most versatile choices.

They can go to Santa Barbara City College on the Promise Program with books and tuition for free.

They can go to a four-year college.

Or go directly into a vocational program to get a skill set that can be put to use quickly in the workplace.

Barnett said some of his VADA students will have crossover talent.  "The creative skills that they have are going to be applicable in any work domain."

On developing the complete student, Maldonado said, "we are all people just working our way through life and finding the common purposes, how we are all going to build great relationship."

There is also a strict cell phone policy requiring students to turn in their cell phones at the start of each class and get them at the end (except for emergencies).

The district says student productivity has been found to be going up with fewer distractions from cell phones.

The policy was recently praised by Governor Gavin Newsom.