NP3 High Campus Reflects a Diverse Community

By Chim Unanwa
Staff Writer | The Pacific Times

California is the most diverse state in the country and NP3 High reflects that diversity.

“Compared to schools outside Sacramento, [NP3 has] some pretty amazing diversity,” said NP3 executive director Tom Rutten.

NP3 High’s School Accountability Report card shows the school’s enrollment by race. In the 2018-2019 school year, for example, the majority of students enrolled at the school identified as Asian at 36% and Hispanic/Latino at 27%. On the other hand, only a small number of students identified as either American Indian/Alaska Native at 0.2% or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 2.4%.

(School Accountability Report Cards are produced by the California Department of Education and show school statistics in a variety of areas.)

Student Enrollment Stats (Race and other factors included)

Compared to national enrollment statistics from Kidsdata.org, NP3 High’s students are more varied in race than most schools in the United States.

United States statistics

At NP3, there are fewer students who identify as Caucasian/White compared to schools nationwide which report an average 48.1 Caucasian/white students who identify as other ethnic groups.

School officials believe campus diversity is an important factor in student success.

“Learning how to interact with people of different backgrounds and cultures is critical to anybody’s success,” Rutten said.

According to Niche, the Natomas Unified School District is the sixth most diverse school district in the entire United States.

“Natomas Unified School District is one of the most diverse districts in the nation, and NP3 mirrors that diversity,” the NP3 School Accountability Report Card reads.

Going to school with a diverse group of students, helps dispel stereotypes and prejudices, according to Robert Hagarty, who teaches US History and AP Psychology.

“When you hear a group of people described in an inaccurate way, you immediately know that’s not accurate,” Hagarty explained. “Because those same groups, you interact with them every day.”

NP3 High has a variety of clubs on its campus which reflect its diverse student population. Two of its newest clubs this school year, for example, are the Muslim Student Association and Queer Pride Alliance.

“We wouldn’t…have a Muslim Student Association at other schools, but because NP3’s so diverse, we’re able to have these kinds of clubs,” said Fairoz Rizwan, leader of Muslim Student Association.

Both clubs are meant to celebrate NP3’s diversity, student leaders said.

“Diversity makes it so you can see different perspectives of things happening,” said Queer Pride Alliance leader Mackenze Morris. “Depending on who you are and … your circumstances? It makes things completely different.”

These aren’t the only clubs focused on diversity at NP3 High. Other on-campus clubs also include the as Black Student Union, Latinos Unidos, Explore the Middle East, and Punjabi Club and past clubs such as the Filipino-American Youth Association.