Board votes to deny renewal of 1 Purpose charter school petition

The San Francisco Board of Education voted on Dec. 10 to deny the five‑year renewal petition for 1 Purpose School, following a staff recommendation that cited academic performance and petition insufficiencies.

District staff told the board that under California law the most important factor in a charter renewal is increasing academic achievement for all numerically significant groups. The staff report concluded 1 Purpose "has not produced increases in academic achievement for all numerically significant groups of students served" and that the petition did not include a comprehensive matrix describing steps to address laws enacted since 2015. Staff also cited declining enrollment and a budget plan heavily dependent on local fundraising as a risk.

Representatives from 1 Purpose disputed several of those findings in public comment. Pamela Mann, board chair at 1 Purpose, said the school has raised approximately $1,000,000 annually to fund wraparound services; David Allen, the school’s business manager, presented ending‑fund balances and California Department of Education fiscal ratings. Community partners urged the board to consider neighborhood displacement and leadership turnover as context for a temporary dip in metrics.

Director of policy planning and charter schools Michael Davis and other staff clarified that some items flagged as insufficient appeared in the petition but that the charter did not provide the required comprehensive matrix showing how it would comply with new legal requirements. The board debated ADA versus enrollment figures before taking a roll call vote to support staff’s recommendation to deny the petition; seven members voted to deny.

The decision is administrative; petitioners may pursue available appeal or next steps under state law.