Sacramento City Unified flags ongoing concerns at St. Hope, Sol Aureus
Sacramento City Unified School District staff recommended that St. Hope Public Schools and Sol Aureus College Preparatory remain under corrective-action monitoring, with Sol Aureus receiving a formal notice to correct by Sept. 15.
During Thursday’s board meeting, Amanda Goldman, the district’s charter oversight administrator, presented an annual report showing that the district’s oversight work over the past three years has helped many charter schools move toward district expectations.
“With SAC prep, we’ve just gotten clearer and clearer going on at that school that maybe needs a little nudge,” Goldman said.
According to the staff presentation and report, SAC Prep’s main issues include delayed or incomplete financial reports, concerns about whether the school is properly serving students with disabilities and English learners, and student outcomes that are “not substantially improving.”
The formal notice would help protect the district’s legal position as it continues monitoring the schools, Goldman said.
Goldman said staff asked St. Hope Public Schools for “a lot of inputs,” including policies and documentation, and that the school provided them. The district’s focus now, she said, is to determine whether “outcomes follow those inputs.”
“While the school is implementing its foundational instructional program as intended, there is room for improvement in its overall vision, differentiated support systems (rather than fully individualized), and staff retention,” the report read.
The report was shared as an informational item, and trustees did not take action on the recommendations Thursday.
St. Hope Public Schools has been under heightened scrutiny from the district following a district audit that alleged major violations, including conflicts of interest among top officers, improper use of public funding and deficient accounting practices. In 2024, the district directed St. Hope to work on a corrective action plan as part of its charter renewal process.
The Sacramento Bee previously reported that only 16 of 54 St. Hope teachers employed in November 2024 remained in their roles a year later. School officials reported a higher retention rate that excluded some midyear departures and teachers ineligible to return because of credentialing or performance issues.
