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Spruce Community School founders present project‑based plan; board seeks detail on CLDE compliance and SPED staffing
Summary
Spruce Community School applicants described a project‑based, community‑connected K–8 model and said they secured startup funding; district reviewers rated the application "fully developed" in many areas but asked for clarifications on CLDE compliance, discipline model and staffing for special populations.
Spruce Community School founders presented a project‑based learning charter that emphasizes community partnerships and small class sizes. Founder Lauren Kosowski said the model partners students with nonprofits and businesses to produce work tied to local needs and said the school would invest heavily in coaching and professional development for teachers.
Kosowski said the group is targeting northeastern District 11 for a facility, plans to launch with 64–72 students and has secured approximately $500,000 in start‑up funding for year 0 plus near‑term commitments for additional support over years 1–3 from philanthropic partners (the presentation referenced a Charter School Growth Fund award as part of that support). The founders told the board they would seek to use PowerSchool for data and planned to align discipline and special‑education procedures with district expectations.
Board and DAC reviewers praised the thoroughness of the application and noted the district's executive summary rated the application as "fully developed" in several categories. District reviewers asked for additional detail on CLDE documentation, staff training for compliance and special‑education staffing ratios. Founders said they have draft bylaws, a conflict‑of‑interest policy and an employee handbook and would provide resumes and additional details to the district for review.
On discipline, founders said the model prioritizes clear routines, small classes and social‑emotional instruction; they said teachers will use a structured matrix to classify interventions (tier 1/tier 2/tier 3) and will work with families to repair harm and establish expectations. The board and district staff said the charter agreement and contract negotiation would address any outstanding compliance items.
Why it matters: Spruce would add a project‑based, community‑connected option designed to attract families seeking hands‑on, personalized instruction; the board asked for additional documentation on compliance and staffing before bringing the application to a vote.
