San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) parents whose children will be attending middle school during the 2021–2022 school year have several options. They may decide to let their children get a high-quality education at their home school, or they may apply to have their children attend one of the very successful programs at Chavez Middle School, Richardson PREP HI, or Rodriguez PREP Academy.
Students must meet all eligibility criteria to apply. Applications will only be processed and accepted online due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. Online applications for the 2021–2022 school year can be accessed at https://sbcusd.com/district_offices/educational_services/secondary_education/secondary_lottery_magnet_schools. The deadline to submit applications is December 18, 2020, at 11:59 p.m.
Chavez Middle School offers the International Baccalaureate (I.B.) program which showcases a world-renowned education leading to an eventual I.B. Diploma in high school. The I.B. Diploma is recognized by colleges and universities across the country and around the world. Students who successfully complete the I.B. Middle Years Program at Chavez will be better prepared to enroll in the I.B. Diploma Program offered at Cajon and Arroyo Valley High Schools.
Richardson PREP HI’s Academic Magnet Program is highly individualized, focusing on student achievement, social-emotional growth, and leadership. As a result, Richardson has been named a National Blue Ribbon School several times in the last few years. Students attending this school are not placed according to attendance boundaries. Eligible students must apply to attend Richardson PREP HI for grades six, seven, and eight.
Rodriguez PREP Academy serves students in grades four through eight with a curriculum and educational philosophy that is structured to ensure that all students are held to high expectations. Rodriguez was named a California Distinguished School in 2011 and its students have consistently scored above state targets on standardized tests. Currently, only fourth- and fifth-grade students attend Rodriguez based on the school’s attendance boundaries. However, eligible students must apply to attend in grades six, seven, and eight.
Parents of eligible students may submit online applications for their student to attend one or all of these programs. Admission will be determined by a random lottery drawing of all qualified applicants on January 20, 2021. Once a student’s name is drawn and assigned a lottery number, the student will be placed according to their school preference(s) and space availability. Each student will only be accepted into one school.
To qualify for admission to any of the programs, students must live within the SBCUSD attendance boundaries. Students must have earned Standard nearly met, Standard met, or Standard exceeded in both English-language arts and math on the most recent California Assessment of School Performance and Progress (CAASPP) or equivalent state test, have no more than 15 unexcused absences during the prior and current school year, and must have maintained acceptable behavior during the current school year as reported by the school principal and as evidenced by no more than two off-campus suspensions.
The random drawing will be held on January 20, 2021, and premier on the District’s YouTube channel found at http://www.youtube.com/SanBdoCitySchools. The drawing will begin at 5 p.m. for all three schools. Students and parents are not required to tune in during the drawing. Families will receive official letters with their child’s lottery number in February 2021.
-clbclbclb-
A service of the Communications Department of San Bernardino City Unified School District