Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District trustees to consider charter school petition; district sees top management changes

 

Action is expected on a petition for a charter school within the boundaries of the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District when the district's elected board members meet Aug. 8.

The petition from the California Republic Leadership Academy seeks to establish a school for transitional kindergarten through eighth grade for a five-year period beginning July 1, 2024. A public hearing on the charter proposal, which is the third in district history, was held June 20.

The purpose of the hearing was to allow the board to “consider the level of support for the petition by teachers employed by the district, other employees of the district and parents,” according to a charter document.

Petitioners are not requesting to use district facilities “at this time,” but they have until Nov. 1 to request the use of facilities – “if needed” – for the 2024-25 school year, based on requirements in state law.

The transitional kindergarten through eighth grade enrollment will be implemented in phases, beginning with students through fifth grade in 2024-25 and adding one grade level each year through 2027-28, if the charter is approved.

The charter proposes to meet common core state standards by teaching classical texts and documents to the students, who will be called “scholars.” The 690-page petition is available at https://bit.ly/3CbwVdp.

In 2019, a petition for a South Coast Academy charter school was withdrawn by organizers before trustees could schedule a public hearing, and in 2009, a public hearing was held fora petition from Charter School Development Systems. But organizers failed to appear, and trustees denied the petition as “not...consistent with sound educational practice.”

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The past two months have seen major changes to the district management staff, with three of the five top-level officials already departed due to resignations and another soon to retire.

Latest to leave is Linda Adamson after nearly three years as assistant superintendent of educational services. She resigned effective June 30 and was replaced by Olivia Yaung, human resources director and former Valencia High School principal, who began June 20.

Issaic Gates began June 22 as assistant superintendent of human resources, replacing Rick Lopez. Lopez was assigned new duties April 19 and resigned effective June 30, with Nancy Blade serving briefly in an interim role.

Gates was director of secondary education in the Inglewood Unified School District and a former San Marino High School principal. Alex Cherniss, who began as superintendent May 1, replacing Michael Matthews, is a former San Marino Unified School District superintendent.

A nine-week application period closed June 30 to replace David Giordano, who is retiring Sept. 30, after eight years as assistant superintendent of business services, a position he previously held for three years in the Brea-Olinda Unified School District.