An informational discussion regarding facility needs and a possible expansion of Adelante Charter School, a Santa Barbara elementary school that teaches Spanish and English, will go before the Santa Barbara Unified School District Board of Education at its Tuesday meeting.
The school was founded as a bilingual, intercultural school and has featured a two-way immersion program since its inception in 2000.
“A report is being created by the Adelante board, and we have met twice with them to see their report and give feedback,” Superintendent Cary Matsuoka said. “The big message is their request around better facilities. They are going to present their request to the board.”
The meeting could start a conversation about possibly offering seventh and eighth grades at Adelante. It serves 290 students in kindergarten through sixth grade.
The school operates on about an acre of land adjacent to Franklin Elementary School at 1102 E. Yanonali St.
“They would like room to expand their enrollment,” Matsuoka said. “They are on a tight piece of land, and they need more space.”
Local residents are expected to attend the meeting to support expanding the school.
“I’m in full support to continue and expand bilingual education, especially with a well-run charter such as Adelante,” said Meghan Cannon, the mother of two stepdaughters in fifth grade at the charter school.
Cannon teaches in the Goleta Union School District and said she is “passionate about our community, social justice, bilingual education and English language development support. Research shows public schools should invest (or shift around resources) to support bilingual education.”
The school board is scheduled to consider the future of Adelante at its meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the district board room at 720 Santa Barbara St.
No vote is required from the district governing board because the discussion is an informational agenda item.
— Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be reached at bholland@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
