Dozens of Adelante Charter School parents and teachers spoke at Tuesday night’s Santa Barbara Unifed School District board meeting, calling for an expansion of the bilingual-education school.
“I was born and raised in Santa Barbara, and I wish this kind of opportunity existed when I was a student,” said Briana Aguilar, an Adelante board member. “I really hope we can support bilingual education beyond sixth grade.”
She noted that the school’s principal gave up his office so that it could be used for classroom instruction.
Adelante is currently housed at a property next to Franklin Elementary School, 1102 E. Yanonali St.
The school was founded in 2000, and at the time was named Cesar Chavez Charter School.
It was renamed Adelante Charter School in 2010. The school has 290 students and consistently has a waiting list of between 50 and 100 students.
Many of the speakers said bilingual education helps students with their overall cognitive learning. They also said that learning two languages simultaneously breaks down cultural and racial barriers, and provides a place for safe learning.
“Thank you for supporting this gem of a school,” said Santa Barbara City Councilman Jason Dominguez. “Keep supporting the school.”
He said as a council member he would work to help change land-use policies to accommodate the school’s expansion.
Former Santa Barbara School Board Member Ed Heron also voiced support for the school’s expansion.
“Adelante is a dream come true,” Heron said. “Whatever it takes to be successful with this group.”
There are 8,937 Latino/Hispanic students in the district. Adelante students have portable buildings as classrooms.
Adelante has been meeting with the district to discuss an expansion to Pre-K through 8th grade, and school officials want to expand within the next five years.
Board members were supportive of the idea of finding a larger space and expanding the program.
“We understand the location of your campus and the issues you have,” said Meg Jette, assistant superintendent, who added that the district has some ideas and will reveal them in a meeting on Oct. 30
“I am consistently blown away by your school,” said school board member Laura Capps. “It is such an amazing place despite the fact that you are crammed in to these portables.”
Board member Kate Parker said “it seems like there is a lot of opportunity here.”
She said the board has an obligation to consider dual language immersion in other public schools in addition to Adelante.
“We are not worried about something closing, we are worried about something growing, and that’s a good thing,” said board president Jacqueline Reid.
School Board Approves Armory
The school board voted 5-0 to move forward with the purchase of the National Guard Armory at 700 E. Canon Perdido St.
The district plans to spend $11.6 mllion for the purchase, and several million more to repair and upgrade the building so that students can use it. The district plans a series of community meetings to figure out a specific plan for the facility.
“This is intended to be a property that benefits the entire South Coast,” Parker said. “This is a very important purchase, not just for the students in the community, but everyone in the community.
The armory takes up an entire city block between Santa Barbara Junior High and Santa Barbara High School.
Capps said it was a “privilege” to approve the purchase of the armory after so many years of talks and negotations.
“This is for the entire community,” she said. “This is not for one neighborhood.”
Jo Ann Caines Theatre
The board voted 5-0 to name the La Cumbre Jr. High theatre after Jo Ann Caines, a former teacher and principal, who died in June at the age of 70.
“I am so proud of our community and all she has done in the community,” said Caines’ daughter, Annette.
— Noozhawk staff writer Joshua Molina can be reached at jmolina@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
