Santa Barbara Charter School is seeking a seven-year renewal of its charter status from Santa Barbara Unified School District. 

Charter schools have to routinely petition to keep operating, proving they meet educational, employment, and health and safety standards. While Santa Barbara Charter School has its own board of directors, teachers and staff, it operates under an agreement with Santa Barbara Unified School District. 

Steve Venz, the district’s chief operations officer, said the district will be doing a thorough review and analysis of the charter school before posting a report with a recommendation on whether to renew the charter by Feb. 9.

The Santa Barbara Unified School Board will then make a decision on the renewal on Feb. 24.  

The board held a public hearing on Tuesday where several parents expressed their support of Santa Barbara Charter School, saying they appreciated the emphasis on arts education and claimed that students were better prepared for junior high and middle school.

Donna Romani, a mom of two sons — one still at the charter school, and one now at Goleta Valley Junior High — said students leave the school academically prepared and confident. 

“Santa Barbara Charter School offers an educational program with both breadth and depth, honoring different learning styles and multiple types of intelligence while fostering curiosity, creativity, and strong relationships,” Romani said. 

Adriana Rodriguez, who also has a child at Santa Barbara Charter School, said she has always felt welcomed by the community and appreciates the after-school program.

“They’ve always made me feel comfortable leaving my child there,” Rodriguez said. “As a single mother I feel like I can finish my work day and allow my son to stay there.” 

Laura Donner, director of education at Santa Barbara Charter School, shared that the school has 285 students — 225 in the classrooms, and 60 in the independent study or homeschool program. 

Of those 285 students 58.4% are white, 26.4% are Hispanic, while the remaining are multiracial, Asian or Filipino. 

Additionally 24.5% of students are socioeconomically disadvantaged, 16.7% of students have disabilities, and 4.8% are English learners, according to Donner.

“We’re grateful to have educated children in the community for the past 33 years, and we look forward to serving children and their families for many years to come,” Donner said. 

Since the school started in 1993, it’s been an indirectly funded charter school, meaning funding came through the district; but starting this June, the school will start getting funding directly from the state. 

“We’re confident in our financial position moving forward including substantial reserves,” Donner said.

The Santa Barbara Unified School Board is set to discuss renewing the charter on Feb. 24