Moorpark College’s High School is expanding their grade levels, welcoming 9th graders for Fall 2019.
The incoming class will attend school located next to the Moorpark College’s Academic Center. Currently, the school only educates 11th and 12th graders. By Fall 2020, 9th-graders will move up a grade level becoming the first 10th-grade class of the high school. This will officially transition the school from a two year school to a four year.
“We’re looking for students who want to get ahead in college,” Ruby Delery said, principal of Moorpark College High School. “Students who start at 9th grade will have the opportunity to get their AA sooner.”
Delery describes it as a huge advantage for future students to attend Moorpark College’s high school. Students have the opportunity to take college courses while earning their diploma, which eases students to a higher education institution.
The school is expecting to increase its enrollment numbers and have even established waitlist.
According to Delery, despite the expected large amount of applicants, the expansion of grade levels won’t affect the classes offered at the college. All the high school classes will continue to be held in the current classrooms at the high school.
There were some concerns from current high school students on how they will fit an entirely new class in such a small environment. However, there will be new class schedules in place by next year.
Incoming 9th-graders will attend classes that are held earlier in the day. While 11th and 12th-graders classes will be held in the afternoon Delery said. However, the 9th-grade class won’t attend Friday classes, like 11th and 12th-graders. The incoming freshman will also be split into two classes, so teachers won’t be as heavily impacted by the large new class.
“I would love to teach the 9th-grade,” Jessica Hendrix-Sandoval said, a 12th-grade teacher at the high school. “We are expanding to all the high school levels, which is very exciting.”
Many current students were concerned about how expansion would impact them, but thought it was a great opportunity. Ethan Lindgren, 18, a 12th-grader pursuing business management expressed how the expansion will make the program feel more like a high school.
“I think currently the program serves as a transitional program,” Lindgren said. “By implementing the 9th and 10th-grade, it can become more of a high school by itself.”
The goal of the high school is that by the end of 12th-grade, students graduate with their AA. Instructors are preparing their students to be college ready.
“They can pretty much get their AA and be on their way,” Delery said. “The idea is to transition them to college.”
Students looking to start 9th-grade at Moorpark College’s High School can still apply as priority by March 13th. All those applying to the 11th and 12th-grade have till March 22nd to apply as priority. Final applications for all grades will be due by April 10th.
For more information visit Moorpark College’s High School website, as well as information night hosted Wednesday, March 20 at 6 p.m. at the high school.
