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SD schools adopt STEAM focus to boost enrollment, meet demand

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Three Linda Vista schools will launch STEAM magnet programs next year under an effort to boost enrollment among neighborhood students and meet growing demand for science and technology courses.

Funded with a $10 million federal grant, the new magnets were announced as San Diego Unified opens a six-week window for its school choice applications from Oct. 3 through Nov. 14.

Starting next fall, Carson and Linda Vista elementary schools and Montgomery Middle School will take on an academic focus promoting science, technology, engineering, art and math, STEAM subjects that are increasingly essential for college and careers.

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The schools will also offer robotics, coding classes and “creative maker spaces” for engineering and design projects. Educators also envision corporate and community collaborations.

Superintendent Cindy Marten said the San Diego Unified School District applied for the U.S. Department of Education grant with the intent of revitalizing the three Linda Vista campuses that feed into Kearny High School and its similarly themed academies.

“We were very strategic about this. This is not three random magnet schools, this is about creating a STEAM pathway all the way to high school,” Marten said. “We are committed to quality neighborhood schools. And we listened to our community, this is what families want.”

The Linda Vista schools have seen enrollment drop in recent years, with neighborhood students bypassing the convenience of their local campuses for charter schools and other far-flung options.

“Enrollment has dropped. A lot of it is perception. There was a perception that this was a tough school,” said Julie Martel, who will help coordinate the campus transformation as San Diego Unified’s executive director of facilities, planning and design.

At Carson Elementary, the percentage of neighborhood students attending a charter has increased from 3.5 percent in the 2011-12 school year to 11 percent in the 2015-16 year. Among students living in the Linda Vista Elementary attendance zone, about 10 percent of students attended a charter last year, up from 4.6 percent in the 2011-12 academic year.

The former principal of Roosevelt Middle School in Balboa Park, Martel helped revitalize that campus and win back neighborhood students with an International Baccalaureate program that feeds into San Diego High School’s well-regarded IB program.

On Monday the district will start accepting applications from parents who want their children to attend a school other than the neighborhood campus they are assigned to based on their address.

Each year, the district fields thousands of school-choice applications that are granted in lotteries. Some families seek specialized schools that promote foreign-language instruction, the arts, science and technology, and other themes. Others want a seat in high-ranking schools outside their attendance boundaries.

Of the 12,518 choice applications the district received last year, more than 70 percent of all students received a seat in the school listed as their first choice, officials said.

“With graduation rates rising, new technology in our classrooms and an expansion of arts and music programs across the district, this really is the perfect time for parents and students to explore San Diego Unified,” Marten said.

Any student in San Diego Unified is eligible to attend any campus — subject to a menu of rules and enrollment programs. Applications received by Nov. 14 will receive priority. Charter schools set their own deadlines and application policies.

Magnets draw students districtwide from geographical areas called clusters. Students applying to a magnet school in a region that has different demographics than their cluster would gain a higher priority for enrollment.

Students also can participate in the district’s Voluntary Enrollment Exchange Program, which allows students in designated neighborhoods to attend schools elsewhere. Special attendance patterns are established by pairing predominantly white schools with predominantly nonwhite campuses.

Enrollment catalogs are expected to hit mailboxes next week. Electronic catalogs are available on the district website. Families can schedule personal consultations with an enrollment specialist by calling (619) 260-2410.

“We start by asking parents what kind of experience they want for their students, and then we try to match them with a school that meets their needs — whether their child is a future artist, engineer or entrepreneur,” said Marceline Marques, director of the Family Welcome and Enrollment Center.

The district expects to send letters to families in late February if their students are accepted into their first-choice school. Those not accepted in their first choice will receive phone calls to discuss options, officials said.

Maureen.magee@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: MaureenMagee

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