Grossmont Union High School District

District Planning Updates

Dear GUHSD Community,

I’m writing to share an update on the District’s planning following the Governing Board’s actions on my recommendations at the May 8 Board meeting. My previous messages on these issues can be found here:

At the heart of the May 8 recommendations was a two-part goal:

Addressing the District’s long-term fiscal challenges
Reallocating resources toward meeting the evolving needs of our students

Among those evolving needs:

Supporting enhanced technology literacy
Strengthening our system of student safety and wellness
Providing critical educational services and support in key areas including newcomer students and special education

This update focuses on one of these areas: technology literacy and strategic initiatives in educational technology. Updates on the other areas mentioned above will be shared in the coming weeks, leading up to the June 10, 2025, Governing Board meeting, where the District’s budget proposal for the 2025–26 school year will be submitted for Board approval.

Guided by GUHSD’s Goals, Priorities, and Strengths

Helping students succeed in a fast-changing world means giving them meaningful access to modern tools – and helping them build the confidence and skills to use them. From basic digital skills to navigating Artificial Intelligence (AI), we want our students to graduate with the tech literacy they’ll need to thrive in college, careers, and life.

These efforts are guided by the District’s foundational goals, priorities, and strengths. Our Local Control and Accountability Plan calls for ensuring that every student is equipped with the tools and confidence to achieve their post-graduation goals – and for fostering a culture of innovation. GUHSD’s Instructional Priorities emphasize the importance of effective learning environments and enhancing classroom conditions for meaningful instruction. Early input from the Portrait of a Graduate process also reflects strong community support for increasing students’ technological literacy. This work aligns with and reinforces key strengths outlined in GUHSD’s Team Playbook, including providing safe, modern learning environments and ensuring every student receives the tools and support they need to succeed.

Whether through enhanced staff training or expanded access to emerging technologies like AI, we will continue building a future-ready GUHSD – ensuring that all students have the resources and support they need to succeed in an increasingly complex, digital world.

Investments in a Future-Ready GUHSD

Here are specific steps we’re taking to improve technology access, instruction, and support across GUHSD:

Training Investments: We want to ensure everyone – teachers, staff, and students – receives the support they need to use new technology tools effectively. If approved, the new District positions outlined below would dedicate part of their work to supporting this effort.

Cybersecurity Improvements: We’re following state-recommended best practices and proposing a new position—a Cybersecurity Engineer—to help protect student information and District systems from growing digital threats.

AI Guidance & Literacy: We’ve formed an AI Guidance Committee to help students and teachers use AI tools safely and responsibly. With Google’s Gemini tool now approved for classroom use (ages 13+), we’ll begin offering support to teachers on how to integrate it into their instruction. We’re also developing a list of approved AI tools, a simple process for requesting new tools, and updated guidelines on how AI should (and should not) be used.

New Chromebooks for Students: Beginning next school year, we will begin phasing in new Lenovo touchscreen Chromebooks, starting with students entering the District. These upgraded devices will be faster, more durable (with protective cases), and more accessible to all learners, including students with disabilities.

New Computers for Classified Staff: The Board approved a refresh of over 500 staff computers—an important investment to support smoother, more efficient day-to-day operations in our schools.

Academic Esports Pilot Program: Academic Esports has a strong record of increasing student engagement and promoting career pathways in technology, media, and related fields. In 2025–26, four schools will launch an Academic Esports program through an official CIF pilot. The program will use high-performance systems that support both competitive play and advanced educational applications.

District Website Upgrade: We’re working to redesign our public-facing website to make it more useful, accessible, and user-friendly for students and their families.

Proposed New Roles to Support This Work

To carry out this plan, the June budget proposal will include the new positions listed below. Pending close collaboration and agreement with our bargaining group leadership, these roles are designed to provide critical support, training, and resources to students, staff, and schools:

1 Educational Technology Coordinator – to lead instructional technology integration and districtwide training efforts

2 Educational Technology Specialists – to provide hands-on support at school sites; one specialist would oversee the District’s online learning platform

1 Business Intelligence Analyst – to improve access to real-time educational data, delivering insights that enhance student-centered decision-making

1 Cybersecurity Engineer – to proactively protect District systems and data from digital threats

What Comes Next

In the weeks ahead, I’ll also be sharing additional updates on our work to strengthen student safety and wellness, as well as efforts to improve key educational services and supports. We remain committed to doing the hard work of aligning available resources with what our students need today – so they’re ready for tomorrow. Thank you for reading.

Sincerely,

Sandra Huezo

Superintendent

1100 Murray Drive (PO Box 1043)

El Cajon, CA 92020 (La Mesa CA 91944)

(619) 644-8000

If you require the use of telecommunication relay services, dial 7-1-1 to be connected to a specially trained communications assistant.

Grossmont Union High School District programs and activities shall be free from discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and bullying based on age, gender, sex, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, nationality, ethnic group identification, ethnicity, marital or parental status, physical or mental disability, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation or the perception of one or more of such characteristics. (GUHSD Board Policy 5145.3)
Additional Title IX non-discrimination information
4119.26 BP Employee/Student Interaction Policy
Additional non-discrimination and related policies

Reset Contrast High Contrast A-Z Site Map

Grossmont Union High School District

District Planning Updates

Budget Briefs

Grossmont Union High School District