546 and Counting: Why do students from other cities come to DJUSD?
546 and Counting
Why do students from other cities come to DJUSD?
By Thomas Oide, HUB Correspondent–
Parkway. The cars are headed to Davis, some of them transporting out-of-district students to DHS.
Sophomore Drew Thomsen roams the halls of DavisHigh School while chatting with friends Nathan Puckett and Riley Donahue. Thomsen looks like an average DHS student, but in actuality, he lives outside of DJUSD boundaries. Thomsen is a Natomas resident who is on interdistrict transfer so he can attend DHS, and is one of 546 students who are commuting from 19 different cities to attend Davis schools.
Thomsen was one of 35 new students who were accepted on interdistrict transfer in 2011, according to Pam Mari, director of student services. Eight were at the elementary school level, 28 came at the junior high level and none came to DHS, while 88 students remained on the wait list.
The number of students on the wait list shows how many students want to come to Davis for school.
“I mean, that is what Davis is known for, its schools. It’s not too far from where I live,” Natomas resident and sophomore DJ Villegas said. “I thought it would be a better environment to learn.”
“There were more options for classes, it was a better school,” said sophomore Katie Grahn, a former Lee Middle School student from Woodland.
Students on interdistrict transfer come to Davis for a variety of reasons. In 2011, DHS was one of thirty-six high schools selected by the Grammy Foundation for its excellence in music.
“It [the music program] was actually one of the main reasons why I came,” said Thomsen, a DHS jazz band drummer. “At Natomas, the music program was kind of a joke. I had seen Davis play before and they sounded great.”
DHS also has 27 different sports programs, a number that is only topped by Granite Bay High School. According to athletic director Dennis Foster, more than 1,000 students participate in school sports annually. But despite the sports programs, academics remain at the top for some students.
“I really just came for the education, soccer was like a bonus,” said Castro, a Pioneer High School transfer.
Villegas agreed. “Honestly, my number one priority is school. But the soccer part is great; I enjoy playing for Davis High School.”
Students themselves usually make the decision to come to Davis on interdistrict transfer.
“I wanted to come because I knew it would be better for me and my education,” Winters resident and DHS sophomore Caitlin Mezzoleni said.
But sophomore Christian Castro was largely influenced by an important adult in his life. “My coach told me that it would be better if I came here so I could get a better education,” Castro said. “After he told me that, I wanted to come.”
Other students who are accepted into the district also have parents who work in Davis, making it convenient for parents to drop students off at school before going to work. Students who live outside of district boundaries are not considered transfer students if they are children of district employees, and this makes up 64 percent of students who live outside district boundaries.
Thomsen is part of the 64 percent because his father is a history teacher at Da Vinci high school and a former Harper junior high teacher, “It was more convenient for us because my dad taught at Harper.” Thomsen said.
Students who transferred to Davis schools saw the differences between their old schools and schools in Davis.
“I guess I expected smart kids. There are lots of those,” Mezzoleni said. “Also, there is more pressure for good grades.”
Most of the students who have transferred into DJUSD have enjoyed their experience so far, despite the higher expectations.
“Yeah, it’s a more challenging environment and there are higher expectations but it’s been great. There’s a lot of people but almost everyone is friendly. The learning environment is exquisite,” Villegas said.
