Heritage Charter School presents renewal report to Escondido Union board

The board opened a public hearing to consider renewal of Heritage Charter School’s charter. Sean Roner, speaking for Heritage, introduced his team — including general counsel Steve Nelson, assistant executive director George Torres, business manager Jonathan Takagi, and principal Sandy Knapp — and thanked the district for the partnership. "We have 13 20 students enrolled at, our heritage KA programs," Roner said during his overview of enrollment and program structure.

Roner described the charter’s two-track model — a traditional five-day program and a flex (hybrid) program — and explained the school’s curriculum approach, which he called "classically inspired," emphasizing integrated, content-rich instruction from kindergarten through high school. He acknowledged a recent dip in English learner assessment performance in the 2023–24 school year to 33% and attributed it, in part, to rising state cutoffs for English-language assessments; he said Heritage has taken steps to address that group of students and intends to continue reporting to the board on progress.

Roner also outlined the partnership for special education services, noting that state special-education funding for Heritage flows through the district and that the district in turn uses some of those funds to support additional services across the authorizing district. The presenter closed by offering to answer questions and by noting plans for continued oversight and reporting if renewal proceeds.