Inland Empire Springs charter reports first year enrollment and student gains; parent raises special‑education concerns at separate public comment

Inland Empire Springs Charter School presented an annual update to the San Bernardino County Board of Education at the May 12 meeting, reporting initial enrollment and early assessment results and previewing facility plans. The presentation was followed by public comment from a parent who raised unrelated allegations about tuition charges at district preschool programs.

Charter update: Inland Empire Springs representatives reported that the charter opened in August and currently has 321 students enrolled, including students moved from a prior charter and new enrollees. The school’s program emphasizes mastery‑based personalized learning and uses a nationally norm‑referenced diagnostic (i‑Ready) to identify student learning needs. Presenters said the charter has a higher‑than‑typical special‑education percentage, and that early i‑Ready diagnostics show students making progress in reading and other measures presented to the board.

Facilities and expansion: The charter told the board it expects approximately 85% of students to return next year and plans to open additional centers in Fontana and San Bernardino City (material revision to follow). The presenter said the program will renovate portables and add classrooms and restrooms as part of site improvements to support growth.

Family testimony and staff comment: Representatives invited several parents and staff to speak, and the board’s charter office staff reported on an on‑site visit that included file review and classroom observations. Charter office staff said the charter cooperated with the visit and that a written visit summary will be provided to the board.

Separate public comment alleging preschool charges: During the same meeting’s public comment period (not part of the charter presentation), a member of the public, Antoinette Jensen, addressed the board to “place on formal record” an allegation that Etiwanda and Alta Loma school districts had charged families tuition for preschool seats she described as publicly funded and billing Medi‑Cal for services. The speaker asked the board to investigate whether districts were collecting parental tuition for seats she said were already funded by public dollars. The board did not take formal investigatory action at the meeting; the presentation and the public comment occurred in separate agenda segments and staff noted the comment for the record.

Nut Graf: Inland Empire Springs reported first‑year enrollment, preliminary diagnostic gains and plans for modest facility expansion; the board’s charter office said it completed an initial visit and will provide a written summary. Separately, an attendee asked the board to investigate alleged preschool tuition at two districts, and the board placed that comment in the public record.

Ending: Charter staff invited board members to visit school sites; the board will receive the charter office’s written visit summary and any follow‑up materials related to both the charter review and the public comment inquiry.