San Jose parents & community members press school district on dropout crisis

Safe Neighborhoods

People Acting in Community Together (PACT San Jose), April 13, 2009

On April 3, PICO affiliate PACT San Jose took another huge step forward in transforming education in San Jose so that all kids have access to a path to college.

Over 300 community members gathered at St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church to push for a systemic approach to addressing the dropout crisis in the East Side Union High School District. ESUHSD lost 1,311 students in a single year - the equivalent of a whole comprehensive high school.

At the PACT Community Action Meeting, School District Trustees J. Manuel Herrera and Eddie Garcia committed to reducing the dropout rate by 10% each year. This will save about 130 youth and bring the District approximately $1 million in additional revenue annually. 

Also, County Supervisor Dave Cortese committed Prop 63 funding for new mental health workers at East Side schools. 

Both the Trustees and Supervisor Cortese committed to supporting the opening of more high-performing charter schools, including providing facilities.

On Tuesday, April 7, the San Jose Mercury News ran an editorial highlighting the results of PACT's work:  "Surge of charter schools coming to Silicon Valley, whether districts like it or not."