SMUHSD Board of Trustees discusses recent trends in student discipline, new funding for arts and music

Despite a return to pre-pandemic attendance rates, the San Mateo Union High School District (SMUHSD)  saw an uptake in expulsions during the 2021-2022 school year. Across the schools in the district, 24 expulsions were recorded in the past year, according to a presentation at the Oct. 13 board meeting.

“Between 2017 and 2021, our expulsions were all about the same [as 2022] combined, and that’s a really high number for us,” Director of Student Services Don Scatena said.                                                                                                                                                                                                          

On a more positive note, the district has implemented restorative programs in the past year as alternatives to immediate expulsion or suspension.

“We know that our kids do better when they’re with us. We are really only suspending, at this point, for serious safety issues,” said Valerie Arbizu, principal of Aragon High School. “Yes, there’s a consequence for things, but also yes, there’s a big push towards learning and restoration.”

In other news, the district received a grant from the state of California allocating about $5.5 million to support arts curriculum. Schools will invest the surplus in new instructional materials for schools and pre-pandemic expenses.

“We’ve got some requests for iPads, to bring digital tools into our 2D media and arts classes, sound equipment in some of our sound and audio classes, and lastly, a lot of needs for organizing this stuff, because it’s a lot of material they need to keep track of,” Director of Curriculum and Assessment Brian Simmons said.

The board also plans to allocate funds towards new musical instruments and dance floors for the numerous dance programs throughout the district.