Springs’ leadership began the process over a year ago to get two “new” charter schools approved after changes to the legal interpretation of California charter regulations required us to seek local authorization for two of our existing centers.
Vista Springs is the new charter for our student center in Vista, California, at 700 E. Bobier Ave., Vista. The Center has 12 classrooms, a multi-purpose room, gym, kitchen, playground and outdoor green space. We applied to Vista Unified School District and were denied twice. We then appealed to the County of San Diego, which took no action on our petition. Then we moved our appeal to the California Department of Education where we were approved unanimously. The school offers multiple programs, including the La Fuente Spanish/English Dual Immersion Academy for grades K-8, a K-8 hybrid program, K-12 Homeschool and a 9-12 independent study option. In approving the petition, the State Board of Education sent a message that our petition is comprehensive, our programs are sound and we are “demonstrably likely to succeed.”
Pacific Springs is the new charter for our student center at 1615 Mater Dei Drive in Chula Vista. Our Center has 15 classrooms and outdoor space located behind Mater Dei Catholic High School and sharing some of the same grounds. We submitted our petition to Chula Vista Elementary District where it was denied. Then, we appealed that decision to the San Diego County Board of Education where it was unanimously approved after several meetings with San Diego County staff and a visit by board President Guadalupe Gonzalez. This means that Springs’ Chula Vista programs—Otay Ranch Academy for the Arts, Homeschool and Homeschool Learning Center—will be able to continue at our wonderful location uninterrupted.
The approval of these two charter schools is a big win for student choice in Southern California. We’re grateful to all who helped in the approval process, and we encourage all of our families to stay involved in efforts to maintain school choice in California.
And finally, Springs is holding an art contest open to all Springs students. Deadline to enter is May 9; click here for details.
Sincerely,
Dr. Kathleen Hermsmeyer
Superintendent
