6-12 Magnet School Concept

Answer: The proposal is for a combined school for grades 6-12 on the campus of San Lorenzo High School that would consolidate SLzHS, East Bay Arts High School and Edendale Middle School. The school would be a “magnet” because it would be open to all district middle and high school students and potentially students outside the district.

It would feature all aspects of the performing and visual arts, as well as video production, while still offering a well-rounded curriculum, including math, sciences, and other “A to G” courses required for admission to the California State University and University of California systems. It also would follow a “liberatory” model, with an emphasis on student expression, inclusion, and empowerment while promoting civic engagement that addresses equity and social justice challenges.

This directly supports Goal 2 of the district’s new Strategic Plan, which calls for development of students’ understanding of civic responsibility and support for their engagement in activities that advance social justice. East Bay Arts would become one of the new school's Small Learning Communities, along with Bay Area Digital Arts, and the district would repurpose the Edendale campus for other needs. Also, all district secondary schools would continue to offer arts instruction.

A. The focus on the arts stems from the concept’s emergence through years of discussion about the location of East Bay Arts High School, which is now co-located on the SLzHS campus. An in-depth study of possible EBA relocation ended in October 2023 when the Board did not approve any of the alternatives. Last spring, a task force of administrators assigned to continue that study led to a proposal for the 6-12 arts magnet school, which the Board decided to explore. That led to the Board’s direction to staff in June to continue pursuing the concept. Many 6-12 magnet schools in our region and across the country are focused on arts education, which promotes self-expression, builds self-confidence, and can lead to successful careers.

Although enrollment decline is occurring throughout SLZUSD, the decline in secondary school enrollment has been more dramatic at San Lorenzo H.S. and Edendale. This is because more families are already choosing to attend Arroyo H.S. and Bohannon and Washington Manor middle schools in large numbers, despite continued investment of educational resources in SLzHS and Edendale and the dedication of their teachers, staff, and administrators.

Repurposing Edendale and changing SLzHS to a new 6-12 model with fewer total students would address the increasing under-utilization of those school sites and leverage the capacity of Arroyo, Bohannon and Washington Manor to accept additional students.

A. As part of the 6-12 magnet program, the district continues to review the best placement for the newcomer program for recently immigrated students. It is certainly possible that the newcomer program could be housed at the new magnet school, where students would benefit from a smaller school community and the continued support of teachers and staff focused on their needs.