Speaking to community members Santa Barbara Unified School District Superintendent Hilda Maldonado and local students addressed the State of Our Schools in a recent presentation at the Elings Park Amphitheater.
In years past, the event has been an informative and sometimes data-driven presentation. This year, Maldonado invited student leaders to share the stage to report their perspectives on Santa Barbara Unified schools to the community.
Introducing the student panel, Maldonado said, “I would be remiss if I didn’t do this in collaboration with who I work for. And that is why I have students with me today. I have all these bosses. I have 13,000, today, I only brought five.”
Maldonado opened by looking at Santa Barbara Unified’s mission: “To prepare students for a world that has yet to be created.” And she posed the question of what is the best way to prepare students to take on tomorrow’s challenges.
Maldonado acknowledged there is still much work to do to get the district to where it needs to be. She then highlighted the progress made with a list of recent improvements to classrooms, facilities, and resources for teachers.
She emphasized the district’s investment in increasing the staff-to-student ratio with the addition of counselors, tutoring services, and family engagement liaisons at every school site.
Students speakers then talked about how district policies and efforts are affecting them and their peers.
Student panelists included Dawson Kelly and Kavya Suresh of San Marcos High School; Emily Pineda, Santa Barbara High School; and Isabella Mireles and Finnegan Wright of Dos Pueblos High School.
The students discussed mental health, campus safety, inclusivity, diversity, and student advocacy. Several students highlighted what was working in terms of services for students, and offered examples from their own experiences.
The young speakers also noted areas in which they thought the district had room for improvement, and made calls to action.
Suresh, a sophomore, and incoming Santa Barbara Unified Student School Board member shared student survey data on what is seen as an appropriate response for school safety at all three Santa Barbara Unified high school campuses.
“As a student closely involved in the campaign to reimagine school safety as something to be achieved without the active involvement from law enforcement, I urge the district to continue to investing in mental health professionals, social workers, and campus security to protect our students’ mental, emotional, and social well-being,” she said.
“We deserve to be in learning environments that grant equitable access to restorative justice and rehabilitation for all students and staff to help us prepare for a world that is yet to be created,” Suresh said.
To watch the entire State of Our Schools presentation, visit sbefoundation.org/state-of-our-schools-tickets.
SBEF thanks State of Our Schools sponsors, 19six Architects, Santa Barbara City College Foundation, Future Leaders of America, Hospice of Santa Barbara, Oniracom, and Jeannine’s.
Santa Barbara Education Foundation promotes private support of Santa Barbara’s public education system in 19 schools. For more information, visit www.santabarbaraeducation.org.