Adult Ed Enrollment Plummets 55% as ICE Fears Empty Classrooms

The Jefferson Union High School District Governing Board meeting on April 28 was a study in contrasts: students presented data-driven projects to improve their schools, while the adult education principal described classrooms emptied by federal immigration enforcement. The board also raised developer fees to the state maximum and honored the district's first wellness counselor.

• Adult education enrollment drops from 2,800 to 1,265 as ICE operations force evening class closures and a pivot to career training

• Student advisory council presents survey research backing phone pouch expansion, mental health QR codes, AP Biology access, and an interactive freshman website

  • 88% of Terra Nova teachers report improved student focus under Yonder phone pouch policy

• Board unanimously raises developer fees to $5.38 per square foot, the state-allowed maximum

• Iranian immigrant Khadijah Doristan honored as Adult Education Student of the Year

Immigration Enforcement Empties Adult Ed Classrooms, Threatens Funding

Principal Mark Beshirs delivered a sobering report on the Jefferson Adult Education program, describing an enrollment crisis driven in large part by federal immigration enforcement that has emptied evening classes and forced program closures across the district.

Why it matters: Adult education enrollment has fallen roughly 55% from pre-pandemic levels — from approximately 2,800 students to 1,265 this year. The decline directly threatens federal Title II WIOA funding, which is tied to enrollment-based payment points. The district's guaranteed state CAEP funding of $1.8 million will see only a roughly $20,000 cost-of-living increase, leaving little cushion.

Where things stand: Beshirs attributed much of the collapse to five targeted ICE actions in the community.

"It was right about January, right when immigration enforcement was really, really ramping up. And we saw the numbers just plummet over there," said Beshirs.

One evening class emptied entirely, and the War Memorial site dropped to three or four regular attendees, forcing program closures. Beshirs detailed systemic headwinds including $100,000 H-1B visa fees, 50% drops in student visa issuances, travel bans, and pathway pauses affecting nearly half of permanent visa pathways.

The district is pivoting toward career and technical education to stabilize the division.

"We are going to be offering a funeral assistant program starting next year. We're doing it in association with San Mateo County," Beshirs said.

A Section 243 grant is also funding an instructional aide preparation program, with seven students completing certificates this year.

On the brighter side, the Adult Transition Program for adults with IEPs ages 18–22 is growing — from 42 students to a projected 52 next year, with two new teachers being hired. Beshirs also highlighted the Creativity Explored arts collaboration, noting that student Yahir Perez's artwork sold for $950 at a gala, with the student keeping half.

The other side: Board members responded emotionally. Vice Chair Rosie Tejada shared a personal story about the climate of fear:

"That's why I finally got a passport in case I get detained. And my daughter Carly, she forgot her ID and she said, well, I have my passport on me."

Trustee Jerome Gallegos was direct:

"We're a community here that doesn't shy away from the truth as it's happening. And I'm glad that you were able to speak to it because it is a direct impact on the people we care about."

Board President Sherrett Walker praised Beshirs for agility in navigating the crisis:

"I see agility in what you're doing. A lot of times having to come up with a new solution throws people for a loop."

What's next: The district will launch the funeral assistant program and continue pursuing CTE certifications. Federal funding remains vulnerable to continued enrollment declines tied to immigration enforcement.

Students Bring Data, Solutions to Board on Phone Bans, Mental Health, AP Access, and Campus Navigation

The student advisory council's presentation consumed the largest block of the meeting — more than an hour — as four subcommittees delivered research-based projects that moved beyond identifying problems to implementing solutions.

Superintendent Toni Presta framed the shift:

"This year was kind of an experiment to see how it would go because we knew you can't solve everything in a short amount of time, but you can start taking small actions and some of those small actions will grow."

Phone Pouches: The Data Is In

The School Environment subcommittee surveyed teachers at Terra Nova High School, where Yonder phone pouches have been in use, and at other district schools without them. The findings were striking: 88% of Terra Nova teachers rated student focus improvement as 4 or 5 on a five-point scale, with equivalent ratings for social interaction and teaching impact. Among 87 teachers at schools without Yonder pouches, 75% rated phone disruption at 4 or 5, and 69% said pouches would likely improve focus and participation.

Why it matters: The board recently updated its cell phone policy, making this student-collected data the first near-full-year evidence base for whether the phone ban expands district-wide. Trustee Jerome Gallegos called the timing significant:

"We just updated and passed the cell phone policy several meetings back. This is pretty timely information because we know that there's been some good data just from the first semester of the Yonder pouches."

Student Trustee Adam Mayat noted that Westmore has an upcoming town hall on the topic:

"As a graduating senior, my hope is that people are able to come to a conclusion with especially the data that you guys have gathered."

The subcommittee recommended a staged implementation approach for expanding Yonder to other schools, with teacher training and parent communication.

Wellness: Creative Fixes for Counselor Bottleneck

The Wellness subcommittee found that universal wellness check-ins were infeasible because counselors could only reach about one-third of the student body annually. Rather than stop there, students proposed alternatives: screening Google forms at the start of the school year, community circles led by peer assistants, partner check-ins for students with similar issues, and QR codes printed on bookmarks, student IDs, and Yonder pouches to reduce stigma around seeking help.

The group cited San Mateo County data showing a steady increase in adolescent ER visits for self-inflicted injuries. At Oceana, students worked with wellness counselors to create a conflict contact framework with pathways through administration and restorative conversations. The group also explored bringing Westmore's peer assistance course model to Oceana as a themed advisory.

Vice Chair Rosie Tejada reminded the board this was not the first time student advocacy had moved the needle:

"A few years ago, we really felt the need to have more wellness counselors. And part of that was student advisory council. That was a huge thing — that we need more wellness counselors. And the district listened and said yes, we know we do."

She praised students for pushing past the initial "infeasible" finding.

Trustee LaSaundra Gutter, drawing on her career at juvenile hall, praised the approach of normalizing mental health conversations:

"I used to work at the juvenile hall, so that's where I retired from. So I worked with a lot of kids that were under similar stresses."

AP Biology Tops the List

The Student Academics and Opportunities group surveyed 233 students and teachers across all five JUHSD schools about AP class expansion. They found that 33% of Terra Nova respondents and 46% of Oceana respondents wanted AP Biology, making it the most feasible addition. AP Physics was also popular but would require first establishing a college prep physics course.

Teacher surveys revealed three barriers: the need for increased stipends for extra workload, philosophical concerns about College Board's set curriculum limiting academic freedom and creating tracking, and a non-negotiable demand for an additional prep period. Terra Nova's biology teacher confirmed interest in teaching AP Biology but echoed the concerns about support.

The group also created a Club Information Resource Guide to help underclassmen navigate chartering, noting that 70% of Westmore clubs are started by upperclassmen.

Interactive Campus Maps for Incoming Freshmen

The New Student Integration subcommittee built an interactive website featuring campus maps with clickable location markers, photos, contact information, FAQs, club directories, and counseling links for Westmore, Jefferson, and Oceana high schools. Their survey of more than 250 students found that 20% of Class of 2029 freshmen didn't know where to find basic school information and 53.6% had never spoken to a counselor.

The website is accessible via QR code and will be added to Oceana's freshman resource folder. Plans include expanding to Terra Nova and Thornton campuses and integrating wellness resources. Four of the six group members will return next year to continue development.

Trustee LaSaundra Gutter was particularly enthusiastic:

"I'm always concerned with that portion of the population that's missed, that just slides under the radar. So for some reason this made me consider them. And that's the first group that I thought of."

President Sherrett Walker tied the presentations together, identifying themes of leadership and service across all four groups:

"I hope that this experience has been great for all of you. It's been great to see you go through it. I hope there's a way to get this on your resume, on your college application, your scholarship applications."

Board Raises Developer Fees to State Maximum

Deputy Superintendent Van Rappor presented Resolution 2025-2026-14 to increase developer fees to $5.38 per square foot, the maximum rate authorized by state law, based on a recently conducted justification study.

Decisions: The public hearing drew no comments. The resolution passed unanimously (For: 5, Against: 0, Absent: 0) by voice vote.

Why it matters: The fee increase ensures new residential and commercial construction in the district's attendance area generates the maximum allowable revenue to offset its impact on school facilities.

Minor Items

• Adult Education Student of the Year: Khadijah Doristan, an ESL student from Iran, was recognized. Principal Beshears noted: "Khadijah has continued to attend classes despite her concerns for her family back home in Iran. The war is a constant threat to the safety of friends and family."

• Winter sports recognition: Westmore and Oceana wrestling champions were honored, including only the second women's league champion in Westmore's history. Westmore wrestling coach Manny presented the program, which was recently revived.

• Board reports: Trustee Gallegos mentioned attending the YIMBY Action gala for the pro-housing movement. Student Trustee Mayat reported that Westmore's social justice coalition has started a voter registration drive.

• AFT Local 1481 representative delivered a brief report to the board.

• Jefferson Elementary visit: Jefferson Elementary School District Board President Anthony Sugisaka made a goodwill visit, congratulating honored students and inviting board members to visit elementary feeder schools.

• Consent agenda approved unanimously (For: 5, Against: 0, Absent: 0).

• Meeting minutes from April 14, April 18, and April 23 approved unanimously.

• Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned in honor of Ellen Litman, the district's first special services (wellness) counselor, hired in 1986. The role she pioneered has grown to a staff of 20 wellness professionals — the very infrastructure students advocated to expand during this meeting.