September 23, 2026

Dear Parents, Guardians, Students and Community:

One of the many ways Hollister High School students demonstrate their readiness for college, careers and an increasingly connected world is through the California State Seal of Biliteracy, which recognizes graduating seniors who have attained a high level of proficiency in speaking, reading and writing in one or more languages in addition to English. At the Sept. 8 meeting of the San Benito High School District Board of Trustees, English Learner Program Specialist JoAnne Kaplansky provided an update on our State Seal of Biliteracy program and the work underway to help even more students earn this important distinction.

During the 2025-26 school year, 130 Hollister High School students earned the State Seal of Biliteracy. Those awards included 95 seals in Spanish, 32 in American Sign Language and three in French. The program has consistently recognized more than 100 Baler graduates annually over the past six years, including 139 in 2024-25 and 152 in 2020-21. The report also highlighted the important role the Seal plays for our multilingual students. Sixty percent of last year’s recipients were Reclassified Fluent English Proficient students, meaning they had previously been identified as English Learners. Hollister High School has also exceeded the statewide high school average in the percentage of State Seals earned by current or former English Learners. That success reflects both the accomplishments of our students and the support they receive from our World Languages Department, English Learner Program, teachers and staff.

In order to earn the Seal of Biliteracy, students must demonstrate proficiency in both English and another language. English proficiency can be demonstrated in several ways, including completing English Language Arts graduation requirements with a 3.0 GPA or higher, meeting the standard on the Grade 11 English Language Arts SBAC assessment, earning qualifying scores on certain AP or IB exams, or meeting the required SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score. For the second language, students may qualify by earning a 3 or higher on a foreign language AP exam or by completing a four-year course of study in a language with a GPA of 3.0 or above, along with demonstrating the required oral proficiency.

Our focus is not only on recognizing students when they earn the Seal of Bilteracy, but also on making sure eligible students understand the pathway and have the time and support necessary to complete it. For the Class of 2027, the application process began earlier than in previous years. Students who had already demonstrated qualifying proficiency through AP or SBAC results were able to begin applying in August, and two Haybaler Support Time sessions were held during the week of Aug. 24. As of Sept. 2, 74 of 88 applications had already been received, with plans to identify all eligible students by the end of this week. Additional informational and application-support HST sessions are planned throughout the year, while World Language teachers will conduct required oral interviews. The application deadline has also been moved earlier to Monday, Feb. 1, 2027, allowing more time to make sure students complete the process before the annual recognition ceremony in May. The district is also looking at ways to strengthen the pathway further, including additional collaboration between the World Languages and Counseling departments and opportunities to incorporate portions of the application and oral interview process into class time.

The State Seal of Biliteracy is also included among the College and Career Indicators on the California School Dashboard, alongside measures such as Advanced Placement exams, college-credit coursework, a-g completion and Career Technical Education pathway completion. More importantly, biliteracy is a skill our students can carry with them long after they leave Hollister High School. It helps students communicate across cultures, strengthens connections within our diverse community and prepares them to participate in a global economy. I am proud of the students who have already earned this distinction and grateful to the teachers, counselors and staff members who continue to help our Balers see biliteracy as an achievement worth pursuing. Our students, teachers and support staff are examples that every day is a great day to be a Baler!

Sincerely,

San Benito High School District Superintendent

Dr. Shawn Tennenbaum

Striving, Thriving, Shining Bright