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Hardy Brown College Prep seeks five-year charter renewal as parents and staff urge board support
Summary
At a public hearing, Hardy Brown College Prep leaders outlined student demographics, academic growth, programming and governance and were supported by teachers, founding members and students; staff findings are due April 6 and the board will vote April 21.
Dr. Margaret Fortune, founder of Hardy Brown College Prep, told the San Bernardino City Unified Board of Education that the TK–8 charter school is seeking a five-year renewal and described the school’s academic gains and family-engagement work.
"The school was opened in 2010. It’s a TK through 8 school with 316 scholars," Fortune said, and she highlighted that the school serves about 90% socioeconomically disadvantaged students and that recent measures show strong growth in English and math on the California School Dashboard.
Raffi Bell, Hardy Brown’s principal, described the school’s instructional model and extracurricular offerings, including an extended-day schedule, Saturday sessions, and robotics and coding integrated through an Apple partnership. "We set the tone for learning by establishing a culture of high expectations," Bell said.
During the allotted public-comment period, 10 members of the Hardy Brown community — including founding board member Joette Spencer Campbell, teachers and multiple students — urged the board to support the renewal. Campbell recalled the school’s founding and early test-score improvements, and several students described the school as a place that helped them thrive academically and socially.
Board president Myra Ceballos and district staff allowed the petitioner and public the time allotted for the hearing and noted the next steps: district staff will release findings on April 6 and the board’s final vote on the renewal petition is scheduled for April 21.
Why it matters: Hardy Brown’s petition raises questions about charter performance, community engagement and local enrollment patterns. Supporters emphasized both metrics and the school’s role in serving Black and socioeconomically disadvantaged students; opponents did not appear in the hearing record. The staff findings and the April 21 vote will determine whether the charter is renewed for five years.
The hearing closed after the scheduled comments; the board did not vote at this meeting.
