School’s increase is attributed to having four classes this year
and inter-district transfers
Morgan Hill – Sobrato High School is near its student capacity this year despite predictions that the Morgan Hill Unified School District would not have enough students to fill the two comprehensive high schools.
The school, built in 2003, finally has a freshman, sophomore, junior and senior class.
And the district’s century-old, tradition-filled Live Oak High School is keeping up, with approximately 1,300 students, though down 171 students from last year.
Live Oak’s regular student enrollment is down to 1,255, 171 less students than last year. Sobrato’s increase of 451 students cannot be attributed solely to the freshman class, which has 402 students.
“This year, we had over 40 kids come from places not within the district, in other words, not our feeder junior highs, but private schools or inter-district transfers,” Sobrato High Principal Rich Knapp said. “These students came to Sobrato by choice. I think that’s very positive.”
The numbers caused a shift for both schools in their rankings for sports teams in the Central Coast Section, dropping Live Oak athletes down one division and moving up Sobrato High athletes into a higher division.
But the impact of changes in enrollment is felt outside of sports.
The Sobrato campus, for example, feels more crowded, especially to those students and staff that have been a part of the school since it opened with just ninth and tenth grade students.
“We’re reaching our capacity in terms of classroom use, every classroom is being used this year,” Knapp said.
But a beginning-of-the-year concern about lunch lines has diminished, he added, as students get out of the serving area at least 10 minutes before the bell rings signaling the end of lunch.
“It’s a design issue, it’s really effective at getting kids in and out,” he said. “Though there is only one door into the serving area, once inside there are five lines. I think we will be able to accommodate about 100 students more.”
Sobrato is not closed to students, he said, and will likely have more students next year than this year, as this year’s senior class is small compared to the other classes.
On the upside, school programs including sports, band and ASB have seen growth with the larger student body.
“It’s not only because we have large numbers, however,” Knapp added. “For example, in ASB, Marla Carroll does an excellent job of recruiting students. Ideally, we’d like to keep the leadership classes between 8 and 12 percent of our student body, and she’s done that. Also, Erik (Kalish, band director) has done a great job of making band an inviting place for students to be. And our sports programs have had to do some cutting this year because of the number of students interested in participating.”
On the other hand, Live Oak students and faculty feel they have more space to move around in.
There are 312 freshmen at Live Oak this year, 357 sophomores, 291 juniors and 295 seniors, with 43 special day class students, for a total enrollment of 1,298.
At Sobrato this year, there are 452 freshmen, 411 sophomores, 373 juniors and 239 seniors, with 37 special day class students, for a total enrollment of 1,512.
Last year, Sobrato had 1,024 regular students, with 402 freshmen, 370 sophomores and 252 juniors, while Live Oak had 1,469 regular students, including 364 freshmen, 300 sophomores, 289 juniors and 516 seniors. Live Oak had 37 special day class students, for a total student enrollment of 1,506; Sobrato’s special day class students numbered 29, for a total enrollment of 1,053.
Live Oak High Principal Nick Boden did not return calls for comment by presstime.
Marilyn Dubil covers education and law enforcement for The Times. Reach her at (408) 779-4106 ext. 202 or at md****@*************es.com.
