All students and families in East San José deserve access to high-quality education and a pathway to college and viable careers. However, this is not the case for students at East San Jose schools.
Eastside Union High School District schools receive $14,000 per student of public funding to provide a comprehensive instructional program and its assumed associated supports. Comparatively, districts in more well-resourced areas locally benefit from greater yields of revenue through higher property taxes (i.e., Mountain View, Los Altos) in addition to private foundation arms at funding rates between $27,000 per student.
This disparity in funding makes it extremely difficult for East San José schools to offer more than basic academic programs. The result of this disproportionate funding in East San José has amounted to lower A-G completion rates, dropping college persistence rates, and less livable wage jobs for diploma earners in East San José.
As a result, this existing disparity in fundingmakes it extremely difficult for East San José schools to offer more than basic academic programs. The result of this disproportionate funding amount to 3500 low-income middle school students annually transfer unprepared to succeed in high school. 76% of students enter middle school and high school behind in English language arts, mathematics, and science, leaving them ill-prepared for collegiate success. Only 22% of Latino/a/x students complete A-G requirements and are eligible to apply to CSU and UC.
Parents and faculty are overwhelmed by the prospect of filling existing academic gaps without adequate resources. If something does not change, economic mobility will continue to be out of reach for the youth of East San José, leading to displacement from this region.
