Charter supporters press Saddleback Valley board to provide Prop 39 facilities after district offers limited classroom space
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Summary
Families and charter leaders urged the board to provide classroom space required under Prop 39 for the California Republic Leadership Academy; the charter network said it received an offer for two classrooms but has asked for six classrooms plus admin space and has filed a lawsuit seeking timely compliance.
Several parents, charter staff and the executive director of the California Republic Leadership Academy told the board the district must comply with California’s Prop 39 obligations to provide reasonably equivalent facilities to charter public schools.
"I'm here because the district plays a critical role in whether that school and the families it serves can succeed," Rowan Polanco said, urging the board to consider bringing the classical‑education charter into the district to shorten family commutes.
Gary Davis, executive director and co‑founder of the California Republic Leadership Academy network, told the board the network received a January 30 staff letter offering to lease classroom space but said the district’s subsequent offer of two classrooms and no office space would be inadequate for the grades requested. "We're only asking for six classrooms and some admin space; you've already offered two," Davis said, adding that the network had filed a lawsuit last week and had a favorable hearing that day.
Charter proponents asked the board to honor Prop 39’s requirement to provide reasonably equivalent facilities to resident charter students and to revisit staff offers to ensure adequate classroom and administrative space. Board members asked staff questions about prior correspondence and the mechanics of Proposition 39 implementation; staff and the board agreed to continue dialogue about site options and capacity.
The board did not take immediate action to change facility offers during the meeting. Several commenters said they looked forward to further discussions with district staff to resolve outstanding questions about space, enrollment caps and timetable.
