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Realms Charter holds public renewal hearing; county panel will decide next month
Summary
Realms Elementary Academy presented its five-year renewal petition, highlighted improvements in student performance and enrichment programs (Spanish, music, Project Lead The Way), and asked the board to renew its charter; the board held a public hearing and will take a vote at the next meeting.
Realms Charter (Ridgecrest Elementary Academy for Language, Music and Science) presented its petition for a five-year charter renewal during a public hearing before the Kern County Board of Education. Realms leaders told the board the school improved its California School Dashboard indicators this year and highlighted curricular programs that set the charter apart.
Don Bean, identified in the presentation as the charter superintendent, described Realms as a TK–6 school with roughly 240 students that emphasizes Spanish instruction, music (orchestra and band) and project-based science through Project Lead The Way. Bean and other members of Realms’ leadership team said enrollment has risen modestly in recent years and the school moved from a low performance tier to a mid-tier under state criteria, which makes the charter eligible for a five-year renewal.
Realms staff described extended-learning and enrichment offerings — including on-site extended learning opportunity programs, Spanish instruction for all grades, weekly project-based science, family-engagement activities and partnerships with local organizations such as Rotary Club and the Ridgecrest Police and Fire departments. School leaders said they had recently improved dashboard results from “red and orange in several categories to yellow for all students” for the 2023–24 school year; they told the board they will continue recruitment and cost-management strategies to balance the budget and improve staff retention.
Several parents and a teacher provided brief testimony in support of the charter’s programs, citing small classes, music instruction and strong parent–teacher relationships. The board did not vote at the hearing; trustees asked clarifying questions and were told Realms will return next month for a formal vote on the renewal petition.
Realms’ petition materials and the presentation were entered into the public hearing record. Board staff confirmed the hearing satisfied the county’s public‑notice requirements and that the board will consider action on renewal at the next scheduled meeting.
