Only about 12 percent of Latinx high school seniors in Santa Barbara Unified went on to a four-year college or university straight out of high school last year. Comparatively, their white counterparts attended four-year institutions at a 41 percent rate in 2017-18. Future Leaders of America (FLA) Executive Director Eder Gaona-Macedo said he’s not surprised by the disparity and that it’s not unique to Santa Barbara: “It’s a systemic issue.”
While the achievement gap is an insidious issue affecting all counties across the state, Santa Barbara Unified’s four-year college attendance rate for Latinx students is almost half the state’s 20 percent. Among socioeconomically disadvantaged students, only 10 percent made it to a four-year institution straight out of high school last year.
Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education Shawn Carey said that she and her team are looking closely at this data “with an eye toward improving equity in student outcomes.” Carey pointed out that the district’s overall college-going rate that includes two-year institutions are above state averages, adding that the Santa Barbara City College Promise program has had a positive impact. In the district, 70.6 percent of Latinx students attend some form of college, compared to the state’s 57.6 percent; and 80.9 percent of white students attend, compared to the state’s 70.4 percent.