The new superintendent and the board of education have made great strides to improve Stockton Unified School District this year, and they have no plans to slow their pace. SUSD kicked off the school year by providing funding so that they could expand their counseling departments. Schools were also able to start or continue previous renovations. This year, Stagg was able to begin building its greenhouse for the agriculture program.

SUSD has also created a pathway to college by passing these new graduation requirements. This year the Stockton Scholars scholarship was put into effect for students in all district schools. This scholarship was available to seniors in Stockton who have been attending a high school in the district all four years. There are also other requirements, such as having a 2.0 grade-point average or above and having the FAFSA completed.

A record-breaking number of Stockton public high school students submitted applications with more than 1,000 accepted pending verification of their college enrollment. More than $500,000 in scholarships will be awarded this year.

Students now have more motivation than ever before to perform to their best academic ability. At Stagg, the senior AVID class has reached 93 percent overall college acceptance. This is the highest acceptance rate since the program was reinstated.

Stagg has also made some strides in improvement by starting a mentorship program. My Brother’s Keeper started in January. This program provides students, mainly African-American males, with any help that they might need in school or just general guidance.
Programs like Stockton Scholars have made college more affordable to those who worry about the cost. Students are being pushed to perform their best with the increased graduation requirements. SUSD is showing the people of Stockton that it is never too late to change for the better.