Down to the Wire, It's Time to Decide: CHS or Sage Creek

Beginning at 8 a.m. on January 7, 2013, current eighth- and ninth-grade students residing within Carlsbad Unified School District (CUSD) boundaries will experience an historic opportunity to choose to attend one of two world-class, comprehensive high schools: venerable Carlsbad High, home of the purple and white Lancers, or brand-new Sage Creek High, home of the green, gold and black Bobcats.

The easy-to-complete High School Selection Form and links to information about the two schools can be found online at carlsbadusd.k12.ca.us/hschoice.html. The deadline for families to make their selection is 4 pm on February 8, 2013.

The selection represents a one-year commitment to the high school of choice. Students who do not make a selection within the designated timeframe will be assigned to a school on a space-available basis.

During the five-week open enrollment window, students/families who have made a selection may request a change by calling Ruth Cartagena at (769) 331-5074. No changes will be accepted after February 8th. Ms. Cartagena is also available to assist parents with questions regarding the selection process.

Families will receive confirmation of the accepted selection by March 1, 2013. If enrollment at either school exceeds capacity, selection will be determined by lottery.                                                                                          

Assistant Superintendent, Instructional Services Suzanne O’Connell notes, “We are very excited for the open enrollment process to get underway! While we cannot guarantee that every student will get his or her desired choice, we can assure families that both schools will provide a full menu of course offerings, including Honors and Advanced Placement (AP) classes along with a rigorous curriculum that meets UC and California State university admission requirements.”

SCHS principal César Morales and CHS principal Matt Steitz share Ms. O’Connell’s enthusiasm to at last have the ability to offer students of Carlsbad Unified a choice about where they wish to attend high school. Over the past few months, the principals have touted the distinct as well as universal features of each campus to over 1000 Carlsbad families. 

One distinction is the master schedule. While Sage Creek will operate on a trimester system, Carlsbad High School will continue to use the semester system with an alternating block schedule. In addition, Sage Creek will open in Fall 2013 with freshman and sophomore classes only. The first graduating seniors at SCHS will be the Class of 2017. 

At both schools, career pathways and college-ready courses will engage students in authentic problems that replicate the contemporary workplace. Mr. Morales and Dr. Steitz have referred to these features as “friendly competition among equals.”

Beginning in kindergarten, CUSD embraces the challenge to prepare all students for an ever-changing world. Assistant Superintendent O’Connell emphasizes, “Whether students decide to attend Sage Creek or Carlsbad High School, our promise to the community is to provide the durable learning experiences youngsters need for college, career, and global citizenship.”

–CUSD Press Release