County board conditionally approves Inland Empire Springs charter expansion, removes Redlands site

The San Bernardino County Board of Education on Oct. 13, 2025, conditionally approved a material revision from Inland Empire Springs Charter (IESC) that identifies specific sites in Fontana and San Bernardino City Unified, updates the school’s expansion timeline and raises enrollment projections. The board also struck a proposed Redlands site from the current five‑year term and required additional documentation before any Redlands facility would be added in a future renewal or material‑revision process.

Staff framed the requested revision as a technical update to identify addresses and provide preliminary finance information for the two new sites, and to clarify the timeline and enrollment projections the charter operator had supplied. Angel Arrington, senior business services project manager for the county office, told the board the staff report lays out recommended conditions that are “based on best practice, our experience in the authorizing community and…transparency.”

Dr. Kathleen Hermsmeier, superintendent of Inland Empire Springs, told the board the operator did not dispute the staff recommendations. “We are not making a presentation. We are happy with the staff report, whether it’s approval or conditional approval,” she said, and offered to work with staff on the requested follow‑up.

Why it matters: County authorization governs where a countywide charter may open campuses and how those sites affect district capacity, oversight and the charter’s finances. The board’s conditions aim to ensure the county office and impacted districts have facility addresses, written lease or purchase terms and the additional financial detail needed to judge whether the expansion is feasible.

What the board required: The board approved the revision with a set of conditions laid out in the staff report. Those conditions include providing finalized facility addresses and related lease/purchase documentation, updated multi‑year financial projections tied to each site, and correction of a minor discrepancy staff identified regarding the opening date for the Rancho Cucamonga facility. The board also required an updated memorandum of understanding between the charter operator and county office covering reporting and fiscal oversight. Members said striking Redlands from the current five‑year petition would keep the record clean; IESC may submit Redlands as a material revision during a future term.

Public hearing and questions: Staff opened a public hearing and reported no public speaker cards on the item. Board members asked staff and the charter’s representatives about enrollment totals and timeline assumptions, and sought assurance the county office would receive the facility and financial documentation before opening the new sites. IESC said it understood the conditions and would furnish the requested materials.

Formal action: The board voted to conditionally approve the material revision and to remove Redlands from the current petition; the staff report and the charter’s MOU were incorporated into the conditions of approval. (Vote tallies or roll‑call names were not recorded in the public transcript.)

What comes next: IESC must provide the facility addresses, final lease or purchase terms and the detailed, site‑specific financial projections the staff report called for. If IESC later seeks to reopen Redlands, the charter must follow the county’s material‑revision process and provide the same documentation for that site.

Ending: The county office and the charter operator said they will work together to supply the staff‑requested documents; the county office will monitor compliance with the conditions and the charter’s financial reporting while the new sites are developed.