With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
OC School Of The Arts Gets Charter Renewed — Without Conditions — For 5 More Years
Supporters of the Orange County School of the Arts applauded the OC Board of Education's vote to approve the school's charter. (Chava Sanchez/LAist)
()
The Orange County School of the Arts will live on for another five years – and it won't have to answer to the Santa Ana Unified School District anymore.
After about 90 minutes of presentations and discussions, the Orange County Board of Education agreed at its meeting today to take over as OCSA's charter authorizer from Santa Ana Unified. Last week, the county Department of Education staff recommended to the board that it should become the new authorizer of OCSA's charter -- on the condition that it address concerns over admissions policies and fundraising practices.
But the five-member county board voted 3-1, with one abstention, to approve the charter with no conditions.
Support for LAist comes from
“The Orange County School of the Arts community can now breathe a sigh of relief knowing that the school they cherish is here to stay," OCSA founder and executive director Ralph Opacic said in a written statement. "While I always had faith that the quality and impact of our program would be recognized, I am grateful to the Orange County Board of Education and the Orange County Department of Education for becoming our new partner."
Dozens of parents stood and applauded after the board vote.
"Thank goodness that we've got our charter and we've got it the way that we needed it ... in order for the school to continue to function on the level that it does," said Angela Grier, whose daughter is a sophomore at OCSA.
Board president Mari Barke, vice president Ken Williams, and board member Lisa Sparks voted to approve OCSA's charter petition without conditions. Board member Beckie Gomez, who favored approval with conditions, voted no.
"I don't see what the harm would be in approving the petition with those conditions to assure that some of these changes have, in fact, been made," she said before the vote.
Board member John Bedell abstained.
OCSA’s current charter with Santa Ana Unified remains in effect until June 30.
Support for LAist comes from
'While we appreciate the relationship that we have fostered with OCSA over the last 20 years," the district said in a statement, "we support OCDE providing oversight of OCSA going forward, as we believe there are still outstanding issues to be resolved at the school."
The county Department of Education will become the oversight agency for the public charter school starting July 1.
How’d we get here? It’s a long story.
LAist only exists with your support.
No paywalls here: just free, independent journalism for you and your city. Donate now.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
What do stairs have to do with California’s housing crisis? More than you might think, says this Culver City councilmember. -
Yes, it's controversial, but let me explain. -
Doctors say administrator directives allow immigration agents to interfere in medical decisions and compromise medical care. -
The Palisades Fire erupted on Jan. 7 and went on to kill 12 people and destroy more than 6,800 homes and buildings. -
People moving to Los Angeles are regularly baffled by the region’s refrigerator-less apartments. They’ll soon be a thing of the past. -
Experts say students shouldn't readily forgo federal aid. But a California-only program may be a good alternative in some cases.
Best of LAist