First of Almost 20,000 County Students to Celebrate Graduation Today : Commencements: Ceremony at special education school begins two weeks of awarding diplomas to graduates of 71 San Diego schools.

From South Bay to San Marcos, 19,630 students are expected to graduate from the 71 comprehensive high schools, continuation and special education schools in San Diego County over the next two weeks.

The commencements begin at 9:30 a.m. today, when the 10 graduates of Sierra Vista High School, a special education school in the Vista Unified district, accept certificates of completion.

“In the ‘90s, we are really going to focus on everybody contributing as much as they can to society, and that’s where my students will fit in,” Principal Kathlyn Roberts said of her graduating class.

Students at Sierra Vista, who range from having moderate to severe mental retardation, learn life skills such as how to read labels, make correct change and cook meals.

Twelfth-grade enrollment in the county, not including continuation and special education schools, declined to 18,667, the fourth consecutive decline since 1987 when there were 20,943 12th-graders, the county Office of Education said. Last year, 12th-grade enrollment was 19,490.

But school officials expect this to be the last year of declining enrollment for some time.

“We know that the early elementary grades have far greater enrollment than our senior high schools right now, and as that age group moves up through the system, we’ll see a correlating increase in high school enrollment,” said Jim Esterbrooks of the county Office of Education.

“This appears to be the last year of decreasing enrollment,” Esterbrooks said, noting that there are 24,405 11th-graders.

All 5,961 of San Diego Unified’s graduates will receive their diplomas today, starting at 10 a.m. at Presidio Park when Muir Alternative School graduates 12 students.

The rest of San Diego Unified’s schools graduate in the afternoon:

Clairemont, 4 p.m.; Crawford, 1 p.m.; Garfield, 4:30 p.m. at the Scottish Rite Center; Gompers Secondary School, 1 p.m. at Point Loma Nazarene College; Patrick Henry, 5 p.m.; Hoover, 4 p.m.; Kearny, 2 p.m. at Mesa College Stadium; La Jolla, 3 p.m.; Lincoln, 7 p.m.; Madison, 1:30 p.m.; Mira Mesa, 4 p.m.; Mission Bay, 5 p.m.; Morse, 1:30 p.m.; Point Loma, 3 p.m.; Riley, 12:30 p.m.; San Diego, 5:30 p.m.; San Diego SCPA, 2 p.m.; Serra, 4 p.m.; Twain, 1:30 p.m. at the Scottish Rite Center; and University City, 2 p.m.

Other districts in the county will hold commencement ceremonies through next week:

Borrego Springs, Thursday; Carlsbad Unified, June 20; Coronado Unified, Thursday; Escondido Union High, Wednesday and Thursday; Fallbrook Union High, Thursday; Grossmont Union High, Thursday, Friday, June 19 and 20; Julian Union, Friday; Mountain Empire, Wednesday; Oceanside Unified, June 19; Poway Unified, June 19 and 20; Ramona Unified, Wednesday and Thursday; San Dieguito Union, Wednesday and Thursday; San Marcos Unified, June 19; Sweetwater Union, June 20 and 21; and Vista Unified, Wednesday.