The Contra Costa School of Performing Arts was approved to open in the fall of 2016. We are now entering our fifth year as an operational charter school which marks an incredibly important point in the chartering process.
One of the tenets of charter schools is the requirement to “renew” the charter every five years. This renewal period and petition submission allows charters to reexamine their programs, achievements, and organize their goals for the following five years; this is done through a series of 15 “elements” outlined by the State of California. It also allows the authorizer (in our case, the Contra Costa County Board of Education) to examine these elements and determine if the school is demonstrably able to fulfill its obligation to educate students in a sound and fiscally responsible manner. This process includes CCCOE staff petition review and recommendations, a public hearing wherein SPA will present the case for renewal, and ultimately a public vote by the County Board to approve or deny our renewal petition. Yes, this is an existential moment for our school and while we feel very confident about the prospect of renewal, we must take this process seriously and ensure that our authorizer understands the narrative of our success and receives a broad community endorsement.
Read the "Road to Renewal" newsletters below and learn about how you can become involved and support the SPA charter renewal.