Overview: The Riverside Unified School District Board of Education declined to vote on eliminating Ethnic Studies as a graduation requirement due to lack of state funding. The decision was made after listening to community members share their comments. Under Assembly Bill 101, one semester of Ethnic Studies would be required in order to graduate starting with the class of 2028, depending on if state funds were allocated. However, Gov. Gavin Newsom failed to include Ethnic Studies in the 2025 budget, leaving the decision to enforce the mandate up to school districts.
Breanna Reeves
After listening to more than a dozen community members share comments, the Riverside Unified School District Board of Education declined to vote on eliminating Ethnic Studies as a graduation requirement during their meeting on Dec. 18.
The discussion around the Ethnic Studies as a graduation requirement came after a presentation delivered by Dr. Daniel Sosa, assistant superintendent of instructional services, who proposed a recommendation of not enforcing the requirement, rather leaving the classes open as an optional course since state funding was not allocated.
Under Assembly Bill 101, one semester of Ethnic Studies would be required in order to graduate starting with the class of 2028, depending on whether state funds were allocated. Gov. Gavin Newsom failed to include Ethnic Studies in the 2025 budget, leaving the decision to enforce the mandate up to school districts.
During the RUSD board meeting, there was some opposition regarding enforcing the requirement, with one speaker arguing that students should have the decision to choose to take other classes instead of Ethnic Studies.
“Why do you think you have a right to force a course that is based on ideology?” asked one speaker identified as Sandy. “You don’t have a right to force the kids to take it. The law is clear: they didn’t fund it, you don’t have to force the mandate.”
Others spoke in support of the requirement, acknowledging that the course plays an important role in student development.
“I am here in strong opposition to the proposal to pause RUSD’s Ethnic Studies graduation requirement,” said Marla Matime, who served on the Ethnic Studies Advisory Committee for two consecutive years in 2022 and 2023. “Making Ethnic Studies optional rather than required sends a clear message that understanding the histories, contributions and lived experiences of our diverse communities is expendable — something students may access if their schedules allow.”
Matime stated that removing the graduation requirement “weakens RUSD’s commitment to equity, inclusion, and academic relevance.” She also said that the lack of funding from the state should have no bearing on the course being a requirement. “AB 101 establishes a standard, not a ceiling,” she said.
Dr. Irene Sanchez, Ethnic Studies educator for the past 15 years and current Ethnic Studies professor at SVCC, acknowledged that Ethnic Studies is a requirement in several school districts rather than a state requirement.
“I’ve seen the impact on the students that I have taught over all these years. Even among the most resistant students, I have to tell you, the thing that I hear the most in the end is, ‘I wish I would have learned this sooner,’” she said. “‘Why didn’t they teach us this sooner?’”
Dr. Sosa reiterated to the board and attendees that under the modified proposal, students will still have access to all Ethnic Studies courses offered, however, as a graduation requirement, this would no longer be the case as a result of no allocated funding for subsequent classes if funds continue to be unappropriated.
Prior to the vote, the board discussed different options regarding Ethnic Studies such as offering the class as an online course, or increasing the number of credits required for graduating.
“I think as a district, we have to decide, do we think this is important, regardless of the cost…?” Board President Brent Lee said. He argued that the district must look beyond the cost and consider student feedback and additional community feedback.
Board Vice President Dr. Noemi Hernandez Alexander called for more data to consider regarding Ethnic Studies and called the consideration to remove the requirement “premature.”