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Mission Preparatory School seeks five‑year renewal amid mixed public comment
Summary
Mission Preparatory School presented its renewal petition; staff recommended a five-year renewal with conditions including progress reporting on parent representation. Public testimony included current students and parents praising academic results and other speakers raising concerns about turnover and school policies.
Mission Preparatory School presented a renewal petition on Nov. 10 seeking continued authorization to operate as a TK–8 charter in the Mission District. Staff recommended a five‑year renewal after review by the Charter Schools Oversight Committee, noting Mission Prep met renewal criteria under state law for high-performing charter schools based on multiple academic metrics including CAASPP results for 2018–2019.
School presentation and performance
Executive Director Chris McDonnell told the board Mission Prep was founded in 2011, serves a primarily low-income, English-learner population that largely lives in the Mission, Excelsior and Bayview neighborhoods, and has a waitlist the school reported as approximately 623 students. The school highlighted a 96% retention rate, a California Distinguished School designation in 2019, and a suite of services for students with IEPs and for families during distance learning.
Public comment and staff conditions
Public comment included current students, parents and staff who described strong student outcomes, rapid growth and substantial family engagement. Other speakers criticized aspects of Mission Prep operations — including staff turnover, discipline and parent access policies — and urged close oversight. The Charter Schools Oversight Committee and staff recommended approval with two conditions: that Mission Prep report to SFUSD’s Charter Schools Oversight Committee by Dec. 9 on progress seating parent members on its governing board, and that the school clarify that its enrollment procedures align with SFUSD enrollment processes.
Board action
The board considered the staff recommendation and took a roll-call vote; recorded votes resulted in a majority in favor of the staff recommendation (roll-call recorded in meeting minutes).
