The last day of school is May 28. | Upcoming closures for all Springs locations: May 26 (Memorial Day), June 19 (Juneteenth), June 30–July 4 (Independence Day), and August 6–7 (Professional Development).
The mission of each Springs Charter School is to empower students by fostering their innate curiosity, engaging their parents, and promoting optimum learning by collaboratively developing a personalized learning program for each student.
The Santa Ana Quest Academy and Homeschool Learning Center came together to celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week in “a meaningful and fun way,” reported Principal Priscilla Doorbar.Each day featured a unique theme that gave students the opportunity to show their appreciation:
LoreleiLee, age 6, a Springs Homeschool kindergartener, competed in her first children’s triathlon. She swam 100 yards in a lake, biked one mile, and ran a 1K, earning first place in the girls' division.
Springs’ principals and vice principals were honored during Principal Appreciation Week in May. Each leader was presented with a certificate highlighting the Springs core value their peers felt best describes them, including “Actions Match Words” meaning “We align our practice with our mission and goals. We keep our promises and we share the whole truth with our community” and “Student-Driven” meaning “Students come first at Springs. We empower students by putting them in the driver’s seat for their educational journey. All decisions we make support helping students thrive.”
Springs hosted its annual Junior/Senior Prom at Hawk Ranch in Murrieta, reported Nikkole McAdoo, events and community engagement coordinator. Its theme was “Some Enchanted Evening”; 226 students participated. Students danced on an LED light-up dance floor, enjoyed dinner and non-alcoholic “mocktails”, captured memories at a 360° photo booth and an LED inflatable booth, and had the chance to sit in an “enchanting carriage.”
Journey Homeschool High School 11th grade student Maggie Mobley will be graduating Springs early, reported her ES Carrie Paschall, and will leave behind “a legacy of academic excellence, dedication, and well-rounded achievement.”
Palm Academy TK through 8th-grade students participated in an Easter Egg Hunt the day before Spring Break, organized by staff and supported by donations from school families. All eggs, treats, and prizes were provided by parents. The event offered students an opportunity to engage in a seasonal activity while fostering a sense of community within the school, reported teacher Michelle Pantoja.
Charter schools are independent public schools with rigorous curriculum programs and unique educational approaches. In exchange for operational freedom and flexibility, charter schools are subject to higher levels of accountability than traditional public schools. Charter schools, which are tuition-free and open to all students, offer quality and choice in the public education system.
The charter establishing each such school is a contract detailing the school’s mission, program, goals, students served, methods of assessment, and ways to measure success. In California, charters are granted for five years. At the end of the term, the entity granting the charter may renew the school’s contract. Charter schools are accountable to their authorizer, and to the students and families they serve, to produce positive academic results and adhere to the charter contract.
Like traditional public schools, charters receive state funding based on a formula for each child enrolled in the school. Many charters also do additional fundraising to obtain grants and donations to pay for programs that are not fully funded by state or school district formulas. When lawmakers passed the Charter Schools Act of 1992, California became the second state in the country (after Minnesota) to enact charter school legislation. The intent was to allow groups of educators, community members, parents, or others to create an alternative type of public school.