The Adelante Charter School Board of Directors is has announced the selection of David Bautista as the school’s new executive director/principal.

“Adelante is a pearl in the Santa Barbara community,” said Bautista, who most recently served as assistant superintendent for the Oregon Department of Education where he oversaw the Education and Equity Unit responsible for English learner programs and outcomes.

Bautista was instrumental in establishing numerous dual-language and multilingual programs offered throughout the state of Oregon, focusing on closing the opportunity gap for culturally and linguistically diverse students.

Bautista earned dual bachelor’s degrees at the University of Guadalajara, Mexico, and a masters of arts degree from the University of Arizona. He has administrative experience as a PK-12 charter school director, a superintendent and assistant state superintendent.

Bautista brings extensive expertise in multilingual education as well as a passion and vision for world-class education where proficiency in more than one language is essential. He has worked with seminal researchers in the area of dual-language education and has contributed to numerous publications and projects.

“From theory to practice, the development of two or more languages is my passion,” said Bautista, who envisions Adelante as a “model charter school in California and in the nation.”

“Adelante Charter School is poised for our next phase of growth and Mr. Bautista has the passion and skills to help us become the premiere two-way immersion school on the Central Coast,” said Dominic Paszkeicz, Adelante Charter School board president.  

Bautista succeeds Juanita Hernandez who led the school through tremendous growth for almost seven years.

Adelante Charter School is a Spanish-English immersion elementary school, where every child enters as a second language learner and every child graduates bilingual and biliterate.

Dominic Paszkeicz for Adelante Charter School