By Becky Salato, Superintendent, Konocti Unified School District
As the weather warms up, and we begin to plan high school graduation celebrations, I’m focused on the real culminating goal: college and career readiness. The cap and gown, the handshake, the walk across the stage–these are meaningful moments, but they are markers of a beginning, not an end. Our job as a school district is to ensure that every student who crosses that stage does so with a plan, a preparation, and a pathway.
Our commitment to our students begins early. At the elementary level, our schools have adopted college partnerships, meaning students grow up associating their school community with higher education. Career fairs introduce young students to professionals from across industries, from healthcare workers and engineers to tradespeople and artists, so students can begin imagining futures for themselves long before they are asked to choose one. At the middle school level, students visit college campuses, making those institutions feel real and accessible rather than distant and abstract. By the time a student enters high school, the conversation about life after graduation is not new. It is a continuation.
At the high school level, that conversation becomes concrete and programmatic. Our district supports two powerful initiatives aimed specifically at students who face systemic barriers to higher education. Upward Bound, a federal TRiO program from Sonoma State University, is designed to academically prepare low-income and first-generation students to enroll in and graduate from the four-year college or university of their choice. This is not a one-time intervention; it includes tutoring, mentoring, and college preparation resources that follow students through their secondary years with a teacher from Sonoma State on our campus. Alongside Upward Bound, our district partners with 10,000 Degrees, an initiative that provides educational opportunities to low-income youth through individualized coaching and renewable scholarships. Together, these two programs offer meaningful support and a launching pad for students who might otherwise miss out on college.
The results speak for themselves. Lower Lake High School currently holds the highest college acceptance rates in Lake County. That achievement reflects years of intentional work: counselors who know their students by name, teachers who hold high expectations, and programs that give students the tools to compete for admission at institutions across California and beyond.
But college is not the only destination we are preparing students for, nor should it be. Our Career Technical Education (CTE) programs represent one of the most significant investments our district makes in student futures. These are not elective courses designed to fill a schedule. They are rigorous, industry-aligned pathways that, in several cases, allow students to graduate with a recognized certificate that qualifies them to enter the workforce in their chosen field on day one.
In our Emergency Response pathway, students can earn certification as Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), graduating with the qualifications to respond to medical emergencies in our community. Once they turn 18, they can take the paramedic's test. In our Patient Care pathway, students complete the coursework and clinical requirements to become Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs), stepping directly into a field with strong regional demand. In our Food Service and Hospitality pathway, students can continue their learning with the Woodland College Culinary Program, earning their Safe Serve certificate that prepares them to work in restaurants. In the Automotive Structural Repair and Refinishing pathway, students can earn the ICAR certification, demonstrating specialized training in collision repair and the ability to meet industry-recognized standards for quality and safety. These are credentials that employers recognize, and that students carry with them into the workforce immediately after graduation.
Whether a student is bound for a four-year university, a community college, a credentialed career, or a combination of these paths, our Konocti Unified School District’s obligation is the same: to prepare them. We know there are factors outside our control—economic hardship, family circumstance, historical inequity—and we do not minimize them. But they do not define what is possible inside our schools. Our programs, our partnerships, and our people are here to close those gaps and to help every student realize their potential.
Graduation day will always be worth celebrating. What we are most proud of is what students carry with them when they leave–the skills and confidence to pursue their dreams.