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Board hears Francophone Charter School petition to unify campuses, change location and increase enrollment
Summary
Francophone Charter School of Oakland asked the board to approve a material revision to unify its two campuses into a single Fruitvale site, change location to the Coolidge campus and increase authorized enrollment (petitioners said they project growing to 420 students and are authorized for 520); board members probed special‑education services, suspension rates and plans to serve vulnerable students.
Claudia Lee, executive director of Francophone Charter School of Oakland, told the Oakland Unified School Board on Jan. 26 that the school seeks approval to unify its lower and upper campuses at a single Fruitvale campus so the program can operate on one site and secure a long‑term facility.
Lee said the petition keeps the program in the neighborhood and preserves the school’s dual‑immersion French curriculum, which she described as serving a diverse immigrant community. “We are extremely proud to be the only public school in the Bay Area that offers a free French immersion program for families,” Lee said.
Teachers and parents emphasized program quality and community. Dauda Tin, a first‑grade teacher, said Francisophone (Francophone) reaches families through Head Start outreach and has rising free‑and‑reduced‑price meal eligibility. Parents and students described expectations for a library, science lab and safer outdoor space away from freeway noise at the proposed Coolidge site.
On finance and facilities, a Francophone facilities committee member said the group stress‑tested financial projections with outside advisors and modeled a conservative seven‑year plan with capacity to accommodate up to 420 students in near‑term projections; the school said it is authorized for 520 students. The presenters said they do not plan immediate large enrollment increases but want long‑term facility stability.
Board members asked for evidence that the school serves vulnerable students and for special‑education details. Lee said Francophone’s suspension rate has been 0% and that the school has increased IEP representation to 13.6% this year (from 14.1% the prior year), noting the school has a director of special education, additional special‑education staff, a speech‑language pathologist and contracted occupational therapy and psychological services. District and school staff described collaborative teams and monitoring procedures for students who exit IEPs.
Directors also asked how the dual‑immersion setting serves students with IEPs and multilingual learners; presenters said services are provided in students’ needs‑based languages where possible (noting one special‑education teacher from Haiti) and that they use inclusion models with push‑in/pull‑out supports.
Vice President Bachelor and other board members asked how the school plans to recruit and serve unhoused and foster students; Francophone described outreach to Head Start and community events but did not provide exact counts. Board members said they will review those numbers closely at renewal.
The public hearing closed after questions and clarifications; the transcript records no final vote on the Francophone petition that evening.
