SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - With flexible options for in-person and online classes, San Juan Adult Education is welcoming students to the start of its fall term.

“Classes start September 6^th,” said Richard S. Judge, principal of the San Juan School of Adults, part of the San Juan Unified School District (SJUSD). Classes are offered at the Sunrise Tech Center in Citrus Heights and the Creekside Adult Center.

Judge taught at Mira Loma High School before moving into administration. He became principal of the San Juan School of Adults in 2020.

Guiding the San Juan School of Adults through the pandemic with a robust hybrid learning model where one-third of all students meet in person, and two-thirds now meet online, Judge is especially proud of what the San Juan School of Adults continues to accomplish for the community it proudly serves.

“We have great students and enthusiastic staff,” Judge said. He estimated that opening fall enrollment will begin with over 800 students but increase to over 1,500 students by the end of the year.

The SJUSD Adult Education Program offers free high school credit courses which count toward the completion of a high school diploma.  Adult students, 18 years of age and up, can work at their own pace in multi-subject classes under the direction of credentialed teachers, as needed, Judge said.

“We’re also reaching out more to prospective students through all forms of social media than we’ve ever done before, with options they can consider to achieve their educational and professional goals,” Judge said.

Popular adult education classes include English as a Second Language (ESL), basic citizenship and general workforce training. The San Juan Adult School also offers individual Career Technical Education (CTE) pathways in healthcare, early childhood education and apprenticeship partner programs.

Judge said he hopes more ESL classes can be offered as additional staff becomes available. “There’s a waiting list for these much-needed classes,” he said. Student progress dictates advancement to the next ESL class level.

SJUSD adult education serves the Greater Sacramento area and has partnerships with local apprentice programs to provide apprenticeship training in firefighting and other professional careers. Adult education assists with the related and supplemental instruction component of the apprenticeship training program.

“Once a student turns 18, they can enroll in Adult Education to pursue their high school diploma, or their GED, or other goals,” Judge said. “It’s a long haul to the 220 credits required by the district for a high school diploma, where a GED might give them a better option.”

A high school diploma in the San Juan Unified School District is earned after successful completion of 220 credits in specified subject areas.

Some 1,245 students were enrolled in San Juan Adult Education during the 2020-21 school year, according to the district. Thirty-one high school diplomas and equivalencies were earned. Seventy-four percent of students were between 18 and 39 years of age. Three out of four students were women.

Sixty percent were enrolled in English Language Acquisition (ELA) classes, and 37 percent in either basic or adult secondary skills. Seventy-one percent were non-native English speakers with the top two languages being Farsi and Spanish.

Starting this fall, the San Juan School for Adults will offer free California Basic Skills Assessment Test (CBEST) classes to help address the shortage of qualified substitute/guest teachers in the San Juan Unified School District, Judge said.

Popular continuing education classes took a hit during the pandemic, Judge said, cut down to two offered this fall, which will include community concert band and bicycle repair.

“We hope to offer many more such classes in the future,” Judge said.

Learn more about adult education programs in the San Juan Unified School District at www.sanjuan.edu/SunriseTC.

For questions regarding registration, email [email protected].

Programs are offered at both the Sunrise Tech Center, located at 7322 Sunrise Boulevard in Citrus Heights, and at the Creekside Adult Center. Call the Sunrise Tech Center at (916) 971-7654 for more information. Office hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The phone number for the Creekside Adult Center at 2641 Kent Drive in Sacramento Arden-Arcade is (916) 575-2320.