Vallejo City Unified highlights college- and career-readiness gains and launches Mandarin at high schools

District leaders told the board that work to increase college- and career-ready indicators is underway across the high schools and middle-to-high transition work has been intensified. The district reported a 2025 overall graduation rate of 79%, with Val High School at 72.3%, Jesse Bethel at 88.3% and John Finny at 75.3.

Julie Robbins and other leaders outlined milestones including guaranteed-admission numbers for Cal State campuses (e.g., Jesse Bethel reported 129 guaranteed admissions to Cal State East Bay and Sonoma State) and 417 UC/Cal State applications submitted districtwide. Officials said dual enrollment, AP course expansion (adding AP Precalculus and AP African American Studies next year) and articulated courses with Solano Community College are strategies to increase college-credit opportunities.

On world languages, the district launched Mandarin 1 this year with two sections at each comprehensive high school and plans to add Mandarin 2 next year and Mandarin 3 by 2027–28. Enrollment initially did not fill to capacity, and counselors are actively recruiting; the district said a Mandarin teacher is employed and that the program aims to retain students who might otherwise enroll in neighboring districts that offer Mandarin.

Trustees asked about pathways for transferring students and equitable access; staff said they will monitor course demand and make programmatic adjustments.

The board heard that college- and career-counseling supports have been added at middle grades to improve the transition to high school and that the district is piloting platforms to let students visually check on-track indicators for graduation requirements.