Escuela Popular holds public hearing for two‑year charter renewal as staff prepare findings

The East Side Union High School District convened a public hearing April 8 on a two‑year renewal petition from Escuela Popular Accelerated Family Learning Center, with district staff saying no action was required at the meeting and a decision scheduled for May 8.

Kirsten King, director of assessment and accountability and charter school oversight, told the board the hearing is the first step required by Education Code timelines: "Tonight is that public hearing, and there is actually no action required of the board tonight." King said staff will post their findings by April 23 and hold a decision meeting within 90 days (with a 30‑day extension already agreed), as permitted by statute.

The hearing included a presentation from Escuela Popular leaders and extensive public testimony. Patricia Regerin, executive director of Escuela Popular, framed the petition as a request for a two‑year renewal under the law’s low‑performing‑school renewal pathway and highlighted recent improvement efforts. Olivia Cortez, principal and Escuela Popular alumna, described a bilingual TK–8 dual immersion program and services for newcomer high‑school students.

Escuela Popular representatives told the board they serve a high percentage of Latinx, low‑income, homeless and English‑learner students, and cited several measures of progress included in their petition packet: a reported drop in chronic absenteeism from 37.5% in 2022 to 27.2% in 2024, a three‑year average suspension rate of 0.6% (state average 3.3%), and increases on performance indicators cited by school staff (a 9.1‑point rise in English language arts and a 23.4‑point rise in mathematics as presented).

District staff emphasized the statutory standard that applies to this renewal type. Philip Gideon, coordinator of charter school oversight, summarized the two threshold findings the board must make to grant a two‑year renewal to a school identified in the low‑performing tier: (1) the charter is taking meaningful steps to address the causes of low performance and those steps appear in a written plan adopted by the chartering authority, and (2) there is clear and convincing evidence of either measurable year‑over‑year academic gains or strong postsecondary outcomes. King also noted the board must still review standard statutory items required by Education Code section 47605, including fiscal solvency and whether the petition includes required elements.

Dozens of parents, students, teachers, union representatives and community members spoke in support of Escuela Popular during the public comment period. Testimony included personal accounts of bilingual instruction, family‑centered services, inclusion practices for special education students, and a number of alumni and staff who said the school helped them or their families access education and stability after immigration.

Julio Pardo, president of the California School Employees Association chapter for East Foothills, said in a five‑minute statement that while CSEA is generally skeptical of charter schools, Escuela Popular is ‘‘different’’ because it serves whole families and fills needs district schools might not. Bernard Gifford, a longtime board member and former dean at UC Berkeley, described Escuela Popular’s campus fundraising and community service.

Kirsten King closed by reiterating next steps: staff findings will be posted April 23 and the board will hold a decision meeting on May 8 where it may, after taking public input and staff recommendations into account, vote to grant or deny renewal within the statutory framework and timelines.

Public testimony was closed at the end of the night; no vote on the petition was taken April 8.

Why it matters: If the board grants a two‑year renewal under the low‑performing tier, the district must document that Escuela Popular is taking meaningful, written steps to address performance and demonstrate measurable gains or postsecondary outcomes. If the board does not make the statutory findings, the petition could be denied; staff must publish their analysis so the community can review the evidence before the May 8 decision.