Students and principal ask Rancho Cordova for $250,000 to sustain George Washington Carver public Waldorf high school

Students and the principal of George Washington Carver School of Arts and Science asked the Rancho Cordova City Council for a one-time $250,000 investment to sustain staffing and programs at the city’s public Waldorf high school.

"Our school is a place for students to feel like they can be themselves and express their individuality without fear of judgment," said Reed Wages, a senior, describing the school as an alternative learning environment that kept him engaged. Fellow senior Elliot Rogozinski, who serves as his school's ASB vice president, said the small campus fostered leadership and connection.

LaNisha Cobelt, principal of George Washington Carver School of Arts and Science, told the council the campus sits on about 15 acres in Rancho Cordova and that the school is the first public Waldorf high school in the nation. She asked council members to consider a $250,000 investment to stabilize essential staffing (including arts instructors), sustain student programs and athletics, and support potential growth such as a community garden and expanded events. "Without this support, we risk losing a school that serves students who need it most," Cobelt said.

Council members thanked the students and principal and expressed interest in helping, but the meeting record shows no motion or vote to provide funding during the session. Council members noted the city's interest in supporting local schools and youth programming and asked staff to consider how the school might be supported through existing grant or community enhancement programs.

The students and principal left the council chambers with council appreciation; next steps for any city financial support were not decided at the meeting.