Mission and Vision

The mission of the San Benito County Polytechnic Academy is to cultivate a collaborative learning community that successfully prepares young people to earn their high school diploma and achieve academic excellence while simultaneously enrolling in post-secondary coursework and earning workforce certifications. Students gain personal leadership skills, develop critical thinking, navigate career exploration, and master technical skills as they move toward successful careers, post-secondary education, and productive life.

Our vision is to prepare young people, regardless of their circumstances, to gain access to a unique educational program that will increase their postsecondary opportunities and unleash their intelligence and positive energy to build their lives and the community. As students claim their right to a quality education, they understand their options and realize they are capable of academic excellence and become active participants in their future success through leadership, education, and technical training. Young people become empowered by their personal transformation, develop agency, and take responsibility for their post-secondary goals.

CULTURE OF EXCELLENCE

Culture of Excellence and Support: ○ High expectations and early opportunities to excel by taking college courses. ○ A trauma-informed school culture with a focus on mental health. ○ A place where students’ heritage, life experience, and strengths are recognized, valued, and respected. ○ Low student-to-counselor ratio. ○ Access to community support programs to meet basic needs. ○ Wrap-around structured life and executive function coaching. ○ One-to-one technology. ○ Ongoing counseling support throughout their post-secondary experience.

ACADEMIC ACCELERATION

Academic Acceleration: ○ An individualized academic acceleration program that builds or rebuilds grades K-8th grade level skills that students have missed prior to reaching high school. ○ A process by which students demonstrate subject matter mastery at grade level prior to moving on to more advanced coursework. ○ A year-round calendar to facilitate continuous learning and academic acceleration. ○ Intensive focus addressing English language development. ○ Intentional support for both diagnosed and undiagnosed special education concerns. ○ Courses of study aligned to high-demand industries, including Agriculture Science and Technology, Construction Trades and Community Development, and Healthcare Sciences.

INSTRUCTIONAL FLEXIBILITY

Instructional Flexibility: ○ A combination of individual, small group, classroom, online, learning laboratory, and college dual enrollment academic instruction contexts. ○ Internships, mentoring, fieldwork, project-based learning, and other real-world experiences aligned with high-demand career sectors to facilitate student engagement, programmatic relevance, and career preparation. ○ Entry-level technology certifications designed to increase student earning potential