Diversity
Like many charter schools, Pacific Collegiate has been accused of inadequately representing the diversity of the community. As its charter with the Santa Cruz County Office of Education requires its student body to represent city demographics, Pacific Collegiate's Board has been making active efforts to increase minority enrollment, though some proposals are still challenged. In the February 2007 lottery for admission, minority enrollment was up significantly, though is still well below city and county levels. As of 2006, 50% of students in the County of Santa Cruz were Latino, 30% of students in the City of Santa Cruz were Latino, and 5% of the Pacific Collegiate student body were Latino. However, 15% of the 2007-08 7th grade were Latino, indicating significant change.
In response to complaints to lack of diversity, some have pointed out the impossibility of consciously diversifying the school with the current random lottery entry system, as well as the fact that the school now includes at least three African American students. As it is completely random, there is no way to choose who gets into the school or even who enters the lottery. In addition, the outreach efforts by the school are limited. As a college preparatory track, some compare the student body of PCS to the "college track" programs at Santa Cruz and Harbor High.
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Famous quotes containing the word diversity:
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