CAPE given five-year charter extension

The Camarillo Academy of Progressive Education, a kindergarten-through-eighth grade charter school in Camarillo, was granted a five-year extension of its charter by the Oxnard Union High School District on Feb. 13.

Located behind First Lutheran Church of Camarillo on Arneill Road, the charter school opened its doors in September.

The school's opening came less than three months after Oxnard Union High School District granted the charter in late June 2007, a month after the Pleasant Valley School Board denied CAPE's charter application.

The charter school is the creation of a group of parents and teachers from Los Senderos Open School- one of two campuses closed last year by PVSD- who wanted their school to retain an "open philosophy."

Teachers using the open philosophy adapt their techniques to each students' individual learning style rather than use rewards or encourage competition in the classroom.

Doreen Learned, CAPE's director of operations, said she has been in talks with PVSD Superintendent Luis Villegas to discuss leasing a campus from the district next school year.

According to state law, the local school district must make facilities available to a charter school that pulls at least 80 students from the school district. The law requires that classrooms for charter school students be equivalent to those used by students from the traditional school district.

"We're looking for them to honor Prop. 39, and I think they will," Learned said.

Learned said CAPE expects to grow slowly in the coming years. The school has two classes for each K-5 grade and one class each for sixth through eighth grade. Learned said the school hopes to add a second sixth grade class this fall and an additional seventh and eighth grade class in 2009 and 2010, respectively.

CAPE administrators ultimately want to have three classes for each kindergarten through third grade and two classes for every fourth through eighth grade.

Learned said CAPE's board wants to keep school growth under control.

"We don't want to grow too quickly," Learned said. "We want to be careful how we grow."