Twin Rivers trustees approve notices of intent to revoke two charter schools after staff cites multiple violations

Trustees of the Twin Rivers Unified School District voted to issue notices of intent to revoke the charters of California Innovative Career Academy (CICA) and Highlands Community Charter School after staff presented what it described as substantial evidence of ongoing violations.

District counsel Bill, joined by staff presenter Ryan, told trustees the district issued notices of violation earlier in 2025 and that the charter responses, which were due Sept. 26, did not remedy multiple concerns to the district’s satisfaction. Bill said the notices cited problems including grade levels not aligned with the petition, operation of unapproved sites without executed leases, a delayed independent audit report for 2023–24, inconsistent or insufficient pacing guides and student calendars tied to instructional-minute requirements, credential misassignments (which staff said have since been addressed), and questions about exclusive partnership agreements and fiscal spending on unused facilities.

“Based on the review and the evidence presented, staff recommends issuance of a notice of intent to revoke,” Bill said during the staff presentation. He described the issuance as an intermediate step that does not itself revoke a charter but begins a regulatory timeline that includes a public hearing within 30 days and a final determination thereafter.

Trustees asked staff to clarify timelines, what evidence would be accepted, and how outstanding appeals intersected with staff findings. Ryan told the board the public hearing would be scheduled for December and that the final determination would likely return to the board in January 2026, giving the charters additional opportunity to submit corrective documentation and material revisions.

The public comment period that followed drew several dozen speakers, including Highlands’ new executive director Jonathan Raymond and Highlands’ chief operating officer Dr. Teresa Cummings, students, teachers, local business and civic leaders, and representatives of a teachers’ union. Speakers described Highlands as a community lifeline for adult learners, English-language learners and workforce training programs and urged trustees to allow time for recently submitted material revisions to be reviewed before final action. Student speakers and community partners described personal and economic impacts they said would follow a closure.

President Jefferson framed the vote as a procedural step that starts a regulated process: “This is not revoking tonight,” Jefferson said, urging clarity that the notice of intent to revoke opens a timeline for remedies and hearings rather than an immediate closure.

Trustee Baker, who moved the motions, and Trustee Bastian, who seconded, recorded the roll-call aye votes on the motion to issue the notices; the board announced the motion carried. Trustees who spoke during discussion stressed that staff’s recommendation reflected an obligation to follow oversight rules and legal timelines and that the process affords the charters multiple opportunities to demonstrate compliance.

Next steps set by staff include the December public hearing and a subsequent board appearance in January 2026 for the final determination. The district’s notices and the charters’ written responses were included in the meeting packet; trustees and members of the public were told additional evidence may be submitted before the public hearing.