News & Events
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Dear Sweetwater Community,
We stand in solidarity with our neighbors, public agencies, elected officials, and community organizations in response to the unacceptable treatment of U.S. Senator Alex Padilla by federal agents in Los Angeles. This incident does not reflect the values we hold as Americans, and we unequivocally denounce it.
We recognize the growing concern about immigration enforcement in our South Bay community. The Sweetwater Union High School District remains committed to supporting and respecting our Latino and immigrant communities. With a student population that is 70% Latino and 10% Filipino, we take pride in our binational identity and the richness it brings to our schools.
Sweetwater does not collect or maintain immigration status information. Our board policies and administrative regulations ensure staff are equipped to handle these matters with care. Our top priority is to maintain a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment for every student.
Living along the border gives us a unique understanding: we can uphold law and order while also demanding empathy in enforcement. Every person deserves dignity, and we call on all who enforce the law to do so with compassion.
To those who choose to protest, we urge peaceful assembly, inspired by leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Cesar Chavez, who showed that nonviolence leads to lasting change.
Let us continue to build a community rooted in unity, diversity, and our shared commitment to justice. Together, we can rise to the challenge and uphold the democratic values that define us.
In solidarity,
Moises G. Aguirre, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Sweetwater Union High School District
Estimada Comunidad de Sweetwater,
Nos solidarizamos con nuestros vecinos, agencias públicas, funcionarios electos y organizaciones comunitarias en respuesta al trato inaceptable recibido por el Senador de los Estados Unidos, Alex Padilla, por parte de agentes federales en Los Ángeles. Este incidente no refleja los valores que sostenemos como estadounidenses, y lo condenamos de manera inequívoca.
Reconocemos la creciente preocupación sobre la aplicación de leyes migratorias en nuestra comunidad del South Bay. El Distrito Escolar Sweetwater Union High reafirma su compromiso de apoyar y respetar a nuestras comunidades latinas e inmigrantes. Con una población estudiantil compuesta en un 70% por estudiantes latinos y un 10% por estudiantes filipinos, nos enorgullece nuestra identidad binacional y la riqueza que aporta a nuestras escuelas.
Sweetwater no recopila ni mantiene información sobre el estatus migratorio. Nuestras políticas de la mesa directiva y reglamentos administrativos aseguran que el personal esté preparado para manejar estos asuntos con sensibilidad. Nuestra máxima prioridad es mantener un entorno seguro, acogedor e inclusivo para cada estudiante.
Vivir en la frontera nos brinda una comprensión única: podemos mantener el orden y la ley mientras exigimos empatía en su aplicación. Toda persona merece dignidad, y hacemos un llamado a todos quienes hacen cumplir la ley a que lo hagan con compasión.
A quienes eligen manifestarse, les pedimos que lo hagan de manera pacífica, inspirados en líderes como Martin Luther King Jr. y César Chávez, quienes demostraron que la no violencia conduce a un cambio duradero.
Sigamos construyendo una comunidad basada en la unidad, la diversidad y nuestro compromiso compartido con la justicia. Juntos, podemos enfrentar este desafío y defender los valores democráticos que nos definen.
Con solidaridad,
Moises G. Aguirre, Ed.D.
Superintendente
Distrito Escolar Sweetwater Union High -
Dear Sweetwater Community,
As a district that proudly serves a diverse student population, we remain steadfast in our commitment to creating safe, welcoming, and inclusive learning environments for every student—regardless of immigration status.
In light of recent national developments, we want to reassure our community that our district policies strictly prohibit immigration enforcement on school campuses without a valid judicial warrant. We are also committed to protecting the confidentiality of student and family information in accordance with the law.
All school staff have been reminded of the proper procedures to follow should immigration or law enforcement officials come to a school site. Additionally, schools have access to resources such as “Know Your Rights” materials and legal support contacts to help guide and protect families. Each school will also receive “Red Cards” in English and Spanish, provided by the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, which outline Constitutional rights in an easy-to-understand format. These cards are also available in multiple languages online. For immigration resources click here.
Thank you for your trust and partnership as we continue to uphold our values of equity, safety, and respect for all. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to your school principal or district office.
Best regards,
The Sweetwater Union High School District
Estimada Comunidad de Sweetwater:
En nuestro distrito, estamos orgullosos de servir a una población estudiantil muy diversa. Por eso, seguimos comprometidos en crear ambientes seguros, acogedores e inclusivos para todos nuestros estudiantes, sin importar su estatus migratorio.
Ante los eventos recientes a nivel nacional, queremos asegurarles que nuestras reglas no permiten que oficiales de inmigración entren a las escuelas sin una orden judicial válida. También cuidamos mucho la privacidad de la información de nuestros estudiantes y sus familias, como lo exige la ley.
El personal escolar ya recibió recordatorios sobre los pasos correctos a seguir si un oficial de inmigración o la policía llega a una escuela. Además, las escuelas tienen acceso a recursos como materiales de “Conozca sus Derechos” y contactos legales para ayudar a las familias. También entregaremos a cada escuela “Tarjetas Rojas” en inglés y español, proporcionadas por el Immigrant Legal Resource Center. Estas tarjetas explican los derechos constitucionales de forma sencilla, y también están disponibles en línea en varios idiomas. Para ver estos recursos, haga clic aquí: click here.
Gracias por su confianza y apoyo continuo. Si tiene preguntas o inquietudes, por favor comuníquese con la directora o el director de su escuela, o con la oficina del distrito.
Atentamente,
El Distrito Escolar Sweetwater Union High School
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Recently, a San Diego Fire-Rescue helicopter landed on the campus of Sweetwater High, part of a partnership educating students about fire based air operations and career opportunities.Students looked in the distance in awe and anticipation as the nearly 2,500 hundred pound aircraft hovered and landed on the high schools field.
“Actually seeing the aircraft and being able to ask the rescue team questions was a dream come true,” said Paulina Lagarda, senior at Sweetwater High. “I’ve always had a passion for helping those in need, so getting into this field is perfect for me.”
Not long after the helicopter touched down at Sweetwater High, did the rescue team receive an assignment sending them to Cowles Mountain to rescue a hiker.
“The partnership with San Diego Fire-Rescue is absolutely invaluable to our students,” explained Mike Diaz, a Career Technical Education Fire Technology teacher at Sweetwater High School. “Engaging students with a talk about the air ship, its capabilities and their duties is something that will stick with these students for a long time.”
Diaz says the Career Technical Education Fire Technology program is a two-and-a half year program designed to show students all the opportunities that come with a career as a first responder.
National City Fire Department sponsors the academy at Sweetwater High and this year they awarded three students with scholarships.
“The helicopter visit helps students visually make their dreams a reality,” explained Mike Diaz, a Career Technical Education Fire Technology teacher at Sweetwater High School.
“Being a part of the Health and Fire Science Academy allows me to gain experience in the medical field,” said Andrew Sanchez, a senior in the Health and Fire Science Academy. “This is a great opportunity I’m glad I get to be a part of.”
According to Diaz, fire academies can be very difficult to get into. Diaz explained how Sweetwater’s program prepares students by exposing and training them in fire service essentials such as basic medical care and search and rescue.
At the end of the program, students take a capstone class to wrap up their fire service education before potentially moving onto a career.
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Annual Study Ranks America’s Best High Schools
In its annual ranking of schools, U.S. News & World Report magazine has named the best schools in the nation. Ten of the 12 comprehensive high schools in the Sweetwater District were named medal winners, placing them among the top 13 percent of nearly 20,000 eligible schools in the U.S.
Schools were also ranked within each state. The ten Sweetwater Schools that received rankings were among the top 20 percent of California schools.
The Sweetwater Schools ranked were:
- Olympian High (#154 in CA and #965 in the U.S.)
- Eastlake High (#209 in CA and #1,215 in the U.S.)
- Otay Ranch High (#237 in CA and # 1,343 in the U.S.)
- Castle Park High (#343 in CA and #1,848 in the U.S.)
- Bonita Vista High (#366 in CA and #1,937 in the U.S.)
- Chula Vista High (#377 in CA and #1,985 in the U.S.)
- Sweetwater High (#395 in CA and #2,065 in the U.S.)
- Montgomery High (#457 in CA and #2,381 in the U.S.)
- San Ysidro High (#461 in CA and #2,405 in the U.S.), and
- Hilltop High (#468 in CA and #2,453 in the U.S.)
Rankings by U.S. News & World Report were done in partnership with the North Carolina-based RTI International, a global nonprofit social science research firm.
RTI implemented U.S. News’s comprehensive rankings methodology, which is based on the key principles that a great high school must serve all of its students well, not just those who are college-bound, and that it must be able to produce measurable academic outcomes to show the school is successfully educating its student body across a range of performance indicators.
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On April 15 at Otay Ranch High School, more than 100 seniors attended the first annual Otay Experience Forum, Breaking Barriers and Changing Perceptions: Finding the Hero Within event. Some of San Diego’s top female executives and business leaders, including Sweetwater District’s very own Superintendent Dr. Karen Janney and other women from various industries came together for a panel discussion to support some of Otay Ranch High’s most promising seniors.
Otay Ranch High senior English teachers Dan Kray and Karen Saiki piloted the Otay Experience project, which brought seniors together to focus on a contemporary and culturally relevant issue. Each senior read Luis Alberto Urrea’s critically acclaimed novel Into the Beautiful North (2010). The novel is part of the National Endowment of the Art’s Big Read Program and was a 2012 selection for One Book, One San Diego. The novel follows the coming of age of Nayeli, a teenage girl on a journey to find heroes to save her community, only to discover she is actually the hero she has been in search for.
In addition to reading the novel, students were required to attend the forum as a final project. According to Kray and Saiki, the Breaking Barriers and Changing Perceptions: Finding the Hero Within forum featured local women “SHEroes” as they shared their own journeys and experiences through life that helped shape them into the women they are today.
The forum kicked off with welcome remarks by Kray, Saiki and Principal Jose Brosz. Then, panel discussions were led by moderator and KGTV Channel 10 Investigative Reporter Melissa Mecija. The panel of leaders included Sweetwater District Superintendent Dr. Karen Janney, California State Assembly, 80th District Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, Superior Court Judge Ana Espana, United States Navy Aircrew Survival Equipmentman Pran Bartolome, San Diego State Assistant Dean of College Education Dr. Tanis King Starck and KUSI Sports Reporter Allie Wagner.
The esteemed panel shared their personal stories through an exciting and informative question and answer session that included sharing their top teachable and most courageous professional moments in their lives. The discussions were also around a variety of topics relevant to the seniors around the importance of an education, building their network and the value of owning their personal economic success as it relates to their future.
Sweetwater District Superintendent Dr. Janney shared it was her mother who inspired her to pursue her dreams. “My mother is who inspires me daily,” said Dr. Janney. “She took a brave step to travel to the U.S. from Guam with an 8th grade education. She raised my siblings and I to value education and each day she demonstrated persistence and courage. She paved the way in order for us to be successful. She is my SHEroe.”
