Schools

Charter School Joins Watsonville High Campus

Ceiba College Preparatory Academy will open a ninth-grade program in the fall.

It's not anyone's first choice, but Ceiba College Preparatory Academy will expand to the campus in the fall.

The charter school, which serves about 250 students in grades six through eight, will add ninth-graders next year and needs a building to grow into.

By law, the school district is required to provide facilities for charter schools if the educational programs can't find a location.

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Tom Brown, co-founder of Ceiba, said splitting students by expanding to the high school campus is not desirable.

"This is not ideal," he said. "This is temporary. We have been looking frantically."

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Ceiba staff members have searched from Mid-County to Moss Landing looking for new school sites, but it's tough out there. They were turned down for two properties, Brown said.

Ceiba, the first school opened by Beacon Education Network, is housed in the Porter Building, a city-owned historic site on Main Street. The school has a lease through June 2014 but must have a facilities master plan by June 2013.

But money, not the location, was the issue raised by Pajaro Valley Unified School District trustees.

Refurbishing two or three aging portable classrooms for the charter school will cost the school district about $50,000.

"We have to do it, but where's the money going to come from?" asked Willie Yahiro, the board president.

The "unbudgeted expense" could have significant impact on the cash-strapped school district, so school board trustees encouraged Brett McFadden, the district's chief business officer, to find alternate funding sources. He said he planned to pursue development funds for the project.

When Ceiba finds its own property, the school district will not be on the hook for facilities costs.

The school, which earlier this year, plans to ladder up one grade a year until it offers grades six through 12.

Board members unanimously approved the expansion to Watsonville High School.


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