Sage Creek High to Open With Only Freshman Class

The following is from Kelli Moors, CUSD Board of Trustees member

We made the decision to open with ninth grade. Our target for total enrollment when all four grades (9-12) are open is 1200, so this is a great size for our founding class.

110 students who will be sophomores committed to enroll at Sage Creek next year.  Our target number for that class was about 250. While we hoped to attract more incoming sophomores, we believe that many students are happily settled into Carlsbad High and wish to continue on that path through graduation. 

Our staff researched new high school openings in San Diego and Orange Counties over the last decade and found a fairly even split between those that opened with only ninth grade and those that opened with both ninth and tenth.

Canyon Crest Academy in Del Mar was the most similar comparison, as it also opened without geographical boundaries and was designed to reduce the overcrowding at the nearby existing high school (Torrey Pines).  Deputy Superintendent Suzanne O’Connell and Sage Creek principal Cesar Morales both worked in the San Dieguito Union High School district in Canyon Crest’s early days and were able to give us some insight into its creation, enrollment and operations.

After an hour long discussion and consultation with our staff, the board voted 4-1 to approve the opening of Sage Creek High School next August with a ninth grade class.  School administrators will contact students and their families who wished to enroll there as sophomoresto explain the decision.

Kelli Moors

More on the decision can be found here: carlsbadusd.k12.ca.us/Pdfs/Board/2013/SCHS-Board-Presentation3-6-2013.pdf