LC Allen High School (LC Allen) and its partners described an ongoing multi-year redesign at the April 23 Santa Rosa City Schools meeting, showcasing career-technical education (CTE) expansions, project-based learning, and development of a graduate profile tied to local industry partnerships.

What presenters said: Representatives from the CTE Foundation and LC Allen outlined grant-funded work that has supported staff professional learning communities, CTE pathway development (agriculture, public safety, public and community health, education pathways) and early-college course opportunities in partnership with Santa Rosa Junior College. The CTE Foundation said it has invested directly in the district and leveraged additional funding to support LC Allen transformation efforts, and that an ARPA grant helped accelerate programming.

Student and staff outcomes cited: LC Allen leaders reported measurable improvements on multiple YouthTruth survey metrics after schoolwide professional learning and project work focused on student engagement and instruction. Examples cited included increases in student self-reported motivation and ability to focus on schoolwork and a jump in the percentage of students who report enjoying school. School leaders said project-based curriculum and clearer expectations had driven the gains.

Dual-language and CTE work: Staff are building a dual-language immersion (DLI) strand at LC Allen to complete a K–12 DLI pathway that begins at Cesar Chavez Language Academy (CCLA). District staff noted a restricted grant that supports DLI staffing and professional development and said the TOSA for the DLI strand was retained during recent staffing actions because the grant was a restricted source.

Community concerns about boundaries: Several community speakers and LC Allen staff urged the board not to collapse LC Allen’s attendance boundaries. Speaker Kamala Brown, science department chair, said LC Allen is making progress and asked the board to allow the school more time to overcome a long-standing negative reputation. Parents and teachers said collapsing boundaries now would interrupt ongoing transformation and risk losing students the school has worked to attract.

Participation and scale: Board members asked about CTE participation rates; presenters said roughly 400 students — about 40–45% of LC Allen’s student body — are enrolled in CTE classes this year. LC Allen leaders said they plan to expand dual-enrollment and industry partnerships and hold a career conference on campus.

Ending: The presentation framed LC Allen as a school with emerging, measurable improvements tied to CTE and project-based learning and called for continued investment and stable enrollment boundaries while leaders continue the redesign. Trustees asked for follow-up data and suggested the district integrate LC Allen lessons into broader consolidation and transition planning.