ROCKLIN – Proponents said Wednesday they will make another bid for a 7-12 charter school in Rocklin Unified School District.
District trustees last week denied the proposal for a Western Sierra Collegiate Academy, saying the school's sponsors had failed to submit a sound fiscal plan and had fallen short on eight of 16 elements required.
David Patterson, executive director of Rocklin Academy, which sponsored the petition for the 7-12 school, said his own governing board decided Tuesday night to resubmit the petition. Rocklin Academy is a K-6 charter school.
He said a committee for the proposed school plans to answer concerns expressed by the trustees and to resubmit a petition in about 30 days.
"We want this to be a good-faith effort on our part for local approval," he said.
The committee has given up hope of opening the 7-12 charter this fall and will focus on the 2009-10 school year, Patterson said.
The proposed academy, which sponsors say would be modeled after a charter high school in Santa Cruz, would offer college preparatory courses to junior high and high school students.
Supporters say it would allow high-achieving students to learn at advanced levels.
Opponents, however, have called such a school elitist and have said it would not have a cross-section of students. Other critics say the 7-12 school would not offer any advanced courses not already available at the district's two high schools, Rocklin and Whitney.
– Art Campos
