Oxnard high school district approves charter school application
By Michelle Knight knight@theacorn.com

Oxnard Union High School District trustees gave a vote of confidence last week for a Camarillo charter school that's slated to open this fall.

The Oxnard school board approved the K-12 charter school application for Camarillo Academy of Progressive Education on June 20.

"We're ecstatic," said Chris Parker, one of dozens of parents from Los Senderos Open School in the Pleasant Valley School District who founded the academy. "We gave them a standing ovation," Parker said

Parker said the academy is expected to open in the fall at the site of a former private school on Arneill Road. Student enrollment continues through July 11, he said.

The group filed a kindergartenthrough-eighth-grade charter school application with the Pleasant Valley district in March, following the board's decision to close Los Senderos and another school.

In May, trustees rejected the application, citing several concerns in a 25-page document.

Board President Ron Speakman said the district may learn how many former Los Senderos students to expect after June 30, when surveys sent to families are returned.

"Opening schools is always a challenge. It will be more of a challenge this year, not knowing if students are going to the district's schools or students are going to CAPE charter," said Speakman.

In the meantime, academy founders are busy interviewing teachers, arranging for an open enrollment time schedule and locating a campus for the school.

"We luckily have a lot of energy," Parker said. "We have hundreds of volunteers, and we've all canceled our summer vacation so we're ready to put this school together."

One academy supporter told Pleasant Valley trustees at last week's board meeting that there's interest in leasing surplus district property.

Tom Griffin, the attorney representing Oxnard, said Camarillo residents may either be grateful to Oxnard for approving the charter or resentful on grounds that the high school district is meddling in affairs that should only concern Camarillo residents.

"I don't know how that plays out. When all else fails, you do what's best for the kids," Griffin said. "Usually that works."