[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6280402,"mediaKeyId","2615615-de018cbf31e6f732161e7c8626536a25","parentId",2615615,"title","County board conditionally renews Norton Science & Language Academy charter for two years","audioSeconds",4922,"startMs",6633000,"endMs",11555000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2615615-de018cbf31e6f732161e7c8626536a25&start=6633&end=11555","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2615615-de018cbf31e6f732161e7c8626536a25/thumbnail_6633000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6280402/California/County-board-conditionally-renews-Norton-Science-Language-Academy-charter-for-two-years","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6280402-c5146c3e1dece2011368cc29a5cb80a7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770916490&Signature=GsAuU5r3uj1x8uvGCvSsAtKc-txiC3-NMaLY0agl72L35Z2XYjwYYRR1UaNCfqVA5d2HNgvVuD5FiuB6~4mCbJzOERN6QqakVSZVhX~ytpnEduf8eqrTjwTrRgsImvBxEKCy88Y5drdan9oHkQkS~NkKn~67NM2Hev6ieU0mICRxQTXMPLqNSORODFm1FqFHUNVfQX4Q7lp2SMtggaIMVy8v6yNBiKSE8qXL2H4mRgj7Wx-HtgeXvevy19PfTnpdXMshRPayXRzD98xOjXOvWZIlEHyFWfrJcZ3p7BMoD8E1BVfprio6OUOJOBZFbkjoF3G2LZSZswhW39M6HdH5Ow__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","San Bernardino County Office of Education","date","2025-03-13T19:22:21Z","article","The San Bernardino County Board of Education on Wednesday approved a two‑year renewal of the countywide charter for Norton Science & Language Academy, but only after attaching conditions that the school must meet in writing within weeks.

Board members voted to adopt staff\u001fs recommendation to approve the renewal with conditions, citing Education Code requirements that apply to renewals for schools classified as low performing. The action keeps NSLA open for the next two academic years while requiring the charter\u001fs operator to submit specified documents, including a revised academic improvement plan (AIP), updated petition elements and a finalized memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the county office.

The board and county staff said the requests are intended to ensure the AIP and petition provide a clear, measurable path to raised student outcomes. The county\u001fs charter review team found several areas that required supplementation: the AIP needed to use the state\u001fs preferred metrics (distance from standard rather than percent proficient), the petition needed an expanded description of the school\u001fs dual‑immersion program and its research basis, the admissions preferences language needed correction for a countywide charter, and some procedural items such as board member names and the school calendar needed to be added or clarified.

Norton representatives told the board they had already begun revisions and had engaged outside experts in dual‑language instruction. Petition presenters said they have worked with dual‑language researcher Dr. Jose Medina and have launched program enhancements including training on a C6 biliteracy framework, updated language allocation that shifts the 90/10 model to begin in TK and added Orton‑Gillingham interventions for tiered literacy supports. Parents, teachers and a financial advisor spoke in favor of renewal during the public hearing, highlighting bilingual outcomes, STEM partnerships and solid fiscal ratios.

The board\u001fs conditional approval requires the petitioner to submit amended petition documents and the final AIP within the timeline specified in the staff report; the county office will review the materials and report back to the board if any items remain unsatisfied. Staff told board members the typical next steps include county review of the revised documents and notification to the public via the county\u001fs charter office.

Votes at the meeting were taken by voice. The motion to approve with conditions carried; board members recorded their votes by voice and the motion passed without detailed roll‑call allocation recorded in the public transcript.

Why it matters: Norton is a countywide dual‑language immersion school that serves students from across San Bernardino County. Under state law the county office must weigh both the petition and evidence the school is taking meaningful steps to address low performance; the two‑year conditional renewal gives the county office oversight while allowing the school to continue operating as requested.

What comes next: The petitioners must provide the amended petition elements and an updated AIP that uses state metrics and the additional documentation listed in the county staff report. County staff will review the materials and notify the board of any outstanding issues.

Speakers and sources for this article are drawn from the meeting transcript and include county charter staff, counsel and petition representatives who spoke during the public hearing.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","County Board Meeting, March 10, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The San Bernardino County Board of Education on Wednesday approved a two‑year conditional renewal for Norton Science & Language Academy after staff identified technical and programmatic deficiencies the school must correct.","taxTitle","San Bernardino County Office of Education, School Districts, California","taxId",56354,"location","California","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6280392,"Parents, staff and county hear complaints about Springs Charter special‑education services and program conduct",525,1393000,1918000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2615615-de018cbf31e6f732161e7c8626536a25&start=1393&end=1918","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2615615-de018cbf31e6f732161e7c8626536a25/thumbnail_1393000.jpg","/articles/6280392/California/Parents-staff-and-county-hear-complaints-about-Springs-Charter-specialeducation-services-and-program-conduct","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6280392-0a7023de9cbcd378a6ac31b5e25b060b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770916490&Signature=XRlNlLRPwqOmE~hfy1YBVCS~Ok8TjuN2zLJohDyYcBNJ6-5EnAb5dzuxoFVvJ3JnFDS4Kdz6BUyQ2wAG6kGaZ3tPoltSguAspD74NamFLiGDhONuk1vIYm1ayNGbhkYpdnthw2j6XWv8ajNRYIUL7a4jGxiKXtb3mYPCp1uskTsn-B1~BjULeSXeW4jXCTVmcnFMQxsur4NEbVTRCJt497UepKMNqIVvEBs9jUL3zqQjylOiU4zDpNMljNc-GzYVNySK22eCn03IXnFGGACAzFmUQ12KehfAVqQwrTfp7sXIKaGHK6SiXRZ0PWZ9pRHr2JczqxRifjh~MrJQfuPdHQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Several parents and a former early‑education teacher used the San Bernardino County Board of Education\u001fs public‑comment period to raise complaints about special‑education services and program conduct at Springs Charter Schools in Rancho Cucamonga.

Courtney Cook, senior director of special education for Springs Charter Schools, addressed the board first and defended the charter\u001fs practices, saying the network serves hundreds of students with special needs and that \"more than 95% of our San Bernardino families are positively engaged\" in the IEP process. Cook cautioned that FERPA prevents staff from discussing individual cases publicly and urged partners to work through established procedures.

Several parents followed with specific allegations. Bridal Baum said her son was told by school staff he \"should not be using speech to text,\" despite it being an accommodation in his IEP, and said students were on several occasions denied loaner laptops when they forgot devices at home. \"How are they supposed to access education when they are denied the very thing they need to get their education that day?\" Baum asked the board.

Parent Anna Salvatierra said her son did not receive services with fidelity, alleged he had been denied access to a laptop on the same day staff took food away from him, and described episodes she characterized as retaliation and discrimination that she said led to school refusal and lost instructional time. Salvatierra urged county oversight before approval of any additional Springs campuses.

Antoinette Jensen, who described herself as a former early‑education teacher, raised concerns about a separate county program referred to as \"Clouds\" in Etiwanda, saying credentialing and enrollment practices for transitional kindergarten may have created improper LCFF funding claims; she said she lost her job after reporting the issues.

Cook and other Springs representatives told the board they favor transparency and collaboration but that privacy laws limit what they can say in public. County staff did not take action during the public comment period; the speakers requested follow‑up from county staff to investigate alleged failures to implement IEPs and alleged personnel/credentialing problems.

Why it matters: Complaints about denial of IEP accommodations, improper credentialing or misallocation of enrollment/funding have legal and financial significance for charter operators and the districts that authorize or oversee them. County staff and the charter operator may need to follow up to determine whether corrective action is required.

What comes next: Multiple parents asked county staff to join facilitated IEP meetings and to investigate the complaints. The board heard the comments during public comment; staff and the charter operator indicated they would follow up with families within the limits of privacy law.

Speakers quoted or referenced in this article were named in the meeting transcript and include Springs Charter Schools\u001f senior director of special education and several parents and a former teacher who spoke during the public comment period.","Parents and a former early‑education teacher told the county board that Springs Charter Schools in Rancho Cucamonga have repeatedly failed to honor IEP accommodations, denied students access to devices, and operated programs staffed without proper credentials.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6280397,"County reports major growth in Footsteps to Brilliance literacy platform; board hears usage and cost details",1354,4106000,5460000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2615615-de018cbf31e6f732161e7c8626536a25&start=4106&end=5460","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2615615-de018cbf31e6f732161e7c8626536a25/thumbnail_4106000.jpg","/articles/6280397/California/County-reports-major-growth-in-Footsteps-to-Brilliance-literacy-platform-board-hears-usage-and-cost-details","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6280397-72a34ea722e60d2e6b13798d0e88fc68/orig.mp4?Expires=1770916490&Signature=e4Droa86mSIfQD~mNeUkBuXAzbP6z4N0pWugUhNdSyDmsvAfr35dhUMV47UIZCwdjgi~OopYWX2P20gmoV4QO59bpLFUpjL4UaXBbbPaKLTY3UNAwRE5gqLmfqJ-mI8c3o4~00XCF2jXbfhLSI8dN6MekcywiHaPUnocmzFhitgBPnHo8Jgh-DpbpiTTgedOxY2flIqYFghiJQEWbqvDUGug8Zx866TWA~~jI9yUQqBUEofQLc7zZhk37FEw-rJf6WPQDRxc~MQq3oxZ4-DaKCu4egCDSry3FN7eMu5P2tQPw6rewWiQmxwaEIJFsod10ECHDvQ-iKyplV9AAHfIIw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","San Bernardino County\u001fs early education staff told the County Board of Education on Wednesday that the Footsteps to Brilliance literacy platform is now being used by tens of thousands of county children and families and showing measurable skill gains in the platform\u001fs in‑app assessments.

Heather Smith, director of early education and development at the county superintendent\u001fs office, said Footsteps to Brilliance is available free to county children in English and Spanish and can be used with or without internet access. She told the board the county\u001fs contract and outreach work have resulted in steady growth: as of Feb. 28 the platform showed 84,997 enrolled users in the county, more than 1.2 million hours of use this school year, roughly 3.7 billion words read, and more than 7.7 million books accessed through the service.

Smith said the platform\u001fs skill‑based games target foundational reading skills and that county analysis of in‑platform assessments showed increases in language, logic and reasoning, reading comprehension, phonics and phonological awareness across age bands. \"They're not just playing games,\" Smith told the board; \"they're actually engaging in literacy and foundational skills.\" She asked members to view the platform as a supplemental, home‑based resource rather than a state‑adopted ELA curriculum.

Board members asked for more evidence tying Footsteps to Brilliance use to later state test results. Smith said linkage is possible but technically challenging because preschool student identifiers do not always match elementary school student IDs and because the COVID era disrupted multi‑year trends; she recommended sampling approaches to measure longer‑term impact.

The board also discussed the platform\u001fs procurement and funding. The superintendent\u001fs staff said the county made a final, one‑time payment to acquire the platform\u001fs license in perpetuity. The final payment discussed in the meeting was $2,166,000; county reimbursement covered roughly half of that amount in recent contract arrangements, county staff said.

Board members asked about the county\u001fs ongoing costs and whether media promotion contracted with public‑media partners was an appropriate use of ESSER funds. Staff said promotion was narrowly tied to a \"transmedia\" literacy project connecting local broadcast partner KVCR to the platform and that fund source details and reimbursements would be provided to members.

Why it matters: Early literacy investment targets the county\u001fs youngest learners and can affect long‑term outcomes. The board sought both quantitative evidence of impact on reading skills and clear accounting of public funds used to expand access.

What comes next: Staff said they will provide additional analysis showing how Footsteps to Brilliance performance data could be matched to longer‑term state measures, a breakdown of the final perpetual license payment and the county cost share, and a summary of outreach and media expenditures linked to federal ESSER awards.

Speakers and sources for this article are the county\u001fs early education staff and presentations made at the March 5 board meeting.","County education staff reported rapid expansion of the Footsteps to Brilliance early‑literacy platform, citing nearly 85,000 county enrollments and billions of words read; the board asked for clearer links to state test outcomes and for accounting details related to the license purchase.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6280387,"County board approves second interim budget showing modest reserve growth; staff to file positive certification",421,11949000,12370000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2615615-de018cbf31e6f732161e7c8626536a25&start=11949&end=12370","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2615615-de018cbf31e6f732161e7c8626536a25/thumbnail_11949000.jpg","/articles/6280387/California/County-board-approves-second-interim-budget-showing-modest-reserve-growth-staff-to-file-positive-certification","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6280387-02293943b09d894075c23cec63648f71/orig.mp4?Expires=1770916490&Signature=AfdQut2zs3OJ3Mvqi3rpatz5M7FfN38rbZ0IVuQiVRMfGEvQVdDDz2fBXiNiq4DLELGbIXjZ8Z~BzjiC53mcx9vFqFruKiyYrPbD2OF9e8x-4Zo0RtG11buHTkMDhAQLmDpch5cS36oKv8c4NDzj44V9qhvZfp~SeuT7XlxMyVXHFJcMs6V3yAdIGRPIwbJBPN5iVgp-yXIdEFdZY3-mK7vRyOYQCyWUmuAntZ~MRSi4kfecSCdAn2ChgMB0wgCZ11LO-gwizPm52A3IXZGpqPKEcf7Rf0FoT090hTeqvSheZTqH8BEwKLfza~C51xqQikF2SlOmijhSKg1hOWsIhg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The San Bernardino County Board of Education on Wednesday approved the district\u001fs second interim financial report for the fiscal period ending Jan. 31, 2025 and authorized staff to file a positive certification with the California Department of Education.

Chief business and budget staff presented the report, saying statewide revenue trends were stronger than the governor\u001fs forecast year‑to‑date but noting some monthly variability. The county\u001fs unrestricted general fund revenues rose slightly in the second interim, driven by local revenue increases linked to district participation in early literacy and related fee‑for‑service programs. Restricted revenues decreased modestly as some federal and state grant spending shifts across fiscal years were reconciled.

Jessica Hurst, the county\u001fs budget lead, summarized changes from the adopted budget and first interim. Her office reduced the budgeted salary and benefit escalation assumption from 2.5% to 2.0% after seeing settlements in the board\u001fs 12 benchmark districts and because most districts have finalized contracts; the current average settlement among the group is about 1.76% with one district outstanding. The second interim report projects a $4.2 million increase in the general fund balance driven by reduced one‑time unrestricted spending and carryover of federal funds.

The report also reflected adjustments for technology equipment, district pass‑throughs for career pathways, and changes in planned professional services. The board discussed several line items: the perpetual Footsteps to Brilliance license payment (the final one‑time county share was discussed as about $2.166 million), shifts of ESSER and other federal program costs across fiscal years, and legal/SELPA expense patterns. Staff and board members asked for additional detail on pass‑throughs and special education costs; staff agreed to provide follow‑up information by board correspondence.

The board approved the second interim report by a voice vote with one nay recorded; staff said they would submit a positive certification to the state and continue to monitor state budget developments.

Why it matters: Second interim reviews are a statutory checkpoint for school agencies to confirm fiscal solvency through the current fiscal year and to update assumptions for the coming year. The county\u001fs decision to lower the assumed salary escalation reflects settled contracts in most benchmark districts and reduces near‑term cost pressure in the budget assumptions.

What comes next: Staff will file the positive certification with the CDE, continue budget development work for next year and return requested pass‑through and expense detail to the board.","The San Bernardino County Board of Education approved the second interim financial report for period ending Jan. 31, 2025, projecting a modest increase in the general fund balance and reducing the assumed salary cost‑of‑living adjustment to 2.0% based on benchmark district settlements; staff said there are no cash flow issues and they will fi","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

County board conditionally renews Norton Science & Language Academy charter for two years

Parents, staff and county hear complaints about Springs Charter special‑education services and program conduct

County reports major growth in Footsteps to Brilliance literacy platform; board hears usage and cost details

County board approves second interim budget showing modest reserve growth; staff to file positive certification