CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) - On February 4, the Sacramento County Board of Education voted 5 to 2 to grant an appeal approving a new charter school in Citrus Heights — the American River Collegiate Academy (ARCA), part of the Rocklin Academy Family of Schools. More than 100 people attended the meeting to support the charter petition, with many speaking during public comment to urge the Board to approve the application.

Jillayne Antoon, director of growth and community engagement for Rocklin Academy Family of Schools, said, “When the votes came in, my first reaction was relief. It’s been such a long road. Going into the meeting, we were hopeful that the County Board would make the right decision, based on our strong charter petition, our strong track record of academic success and financial strength, the depth and experience of our team, and most importantly, for the kids in Citrus Heights.”

The Rocklin Academy Family of Schools, which already operates five other schools in the greater Sacramento area, first submitted the ARCA charter petition to the San Juan Unified School District (SJUSD) last May. The SJUSD’s charter review team recommended that the Board deny the petition, stating that the charter outlined an unsound educational program and that the school was unlikely to implement the program as outlined in the petition.

Antoon said, “We disagree, as we have been successfully operating schools since 2001, and since that time, our schools have been among the highest performing in the region. We have a long track record of academic success and well-run schools and have been preparing for this new school for two years.”

After learning that the staff recommendation was to deny the application, Rocklin Academy Family of Schools withdrew the application and worked to revise the petition to address the concerns raised by the SJUSD Board. They resubmitted the charter petition in August. “We granted SJUSD an additional 30 days to review the petition to try to be good partners,” said Antoon. “However, their analysis the second time included different concerns than the first findings report. Meeting their criteria seemed to be a moving target.”

At the November 12 SJUSD Board meeting, they voted unanimously to deny the charter petition. “We absolutely knew that if we were denied again, we would appeal the decision to the County,” said Antoon. “We have been determined from the beginning to bring this school to Citrus Heights. Looking at the performance data from local schools, there is definitely an academic need. Citrus Heights is a neighboring community to our current schools, and the community support has been through the roof. … We are committed to this community, and the children and families in Citrus Heights deserve a high-quality public-school choice.”

Citrus Heights Mayor Jeff Slowey, with the support of the City Council, sent a letter to the Sacramento County Board of Education urging them to approve Rocklin Academy Family of Schools’ charter petition, citing their “strong track record of academic success.”

After the recent County vote, Councilmember Jeannie Bruins said, “I’m very excited that the County Board of Education approved the charter for American River Collegiate Academy (ARCA). Our citizens will now have a greater school choice for their children. I believe the addition of ARCA to Citrus Heights will elevate the quality of education available in our community. The City will continue to support our existing schools, as we have always done, and we will build a relationship with this new public charter school as well. Since the vote, I have received emails from people wanting to know the outcome and ready to enroll their children in ARCA, rather than open enroll them in a school outside of Citrus Heights. This is very good news for our community.”

Now that their charter has been approved, Rocklin Academy Family of Schools is already accepting applications for ARCA — a tuition-free public school that is open to all students. They will be opening this August with kindergarten through second grade classes. The school will add additional grade levels each year. Antoon said, “We intend to eventually offer a kindergarten through 12th grade program, and our graduates will be ready for college and career.”

Initially, they will set up a temporary campus while finalizing plans to purchase property in Citrus Heights for the permanent campus. “Having American River Collegiate Academy in the community is going to improve the educational ecosystem for all kids,” said Antoon. “Families who would otherwise choose neighboring school districts will have a choice in their community. Families may choose to move into the community because of the school. … A high-quality school system only brings good things to a community.”

To learn more about the American River Collegiate Academy (ARCA), visit www.rocklinacademy.com.