New Beaumont Charter School to Open This Fall, Enrollment Underway

Pass parents looking for an alternative to either the local school system or home schooling now have a third option: charter school.

Highland Academy Charter School will open in the Fall to local students, and is currently accepting enrollment applications through March 29, according to co-founder and program director Brent Bishop.

"We started this because we believe parents should have a choice," he told Patch. 
"We’re looking forward to serving the community."

The school, which will operate out of the Wellwood Center in Beaumont, was approved by the Beaumont Unified School District in June 2012, according to Bishop.  State funding was secured shortly thereafter.

It will house grades kindergarten through eight, and will teach students via a more "active" approach to learning, through many hands-on projects and the frequent use of STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.

"Education works best when that’s the case," Bishop told Patch.  "It’s going to be a very interactive place to be." 

Getting the School Started

Bishop tells Banning-Beaumont Patch that it's been a long road to this day.  After a process that started about three years ago, the school finally has official state approval and funding.  

That funding consists of a $375,000 start-up grant to secure a facility, train teachers and get other things ready for the school's opening.  They'll also receive "standard" educational funding, based on enrollment.

“As the year progresses we will receive the standard funding from the state… based the number of students that we have," the Beaumont resident and seven-year teaching veteran said.

Though the educational institution had to be approved by BUSD before it could open, the charter school will not be considered part of the district.  Rather, it will act as an oversight agency of sorts, Bishop explained.

“We have a separate governing board that runs our schools," he said, adding that things like funding will go directly to that board, not BUSD.  "We’re basically an independent entity.” 

The charter school will be leasing the Wellwood Center from the district.

Attending Highland Academy

Students don't have to be residents of Beaumont to attend Highland Academy.  They can actually reside anywhere in California, so long as they can get to the campus for instruction, as busing will not be provided.

As of Monday, enrollment for the new school was at 40.  However, Bishop says that number will be increasing very soon, as there are many committed families that just haven't finished the enrollment process.

"My phone pretty much rings all day, so that’s a good thing," Bishop told Patch, adding that there's been "a ton of interest from the community."

"I can almost guarantee that [enrollment] number is going to be significantly higher by Friday," he said.

School will start in August.  Grades kindergarten through five will attend classes on campus two days a week, completing other education requirements from home on the other three.  Grades six through eight will attend a more traditional school model, on campus Monday through Friday, according to Bishop.

• To learn more about Highland Academy, and charter schools in general, visit the school's website here.
• To download enrollment materials, click here.

Bishop said the school is expecting to hire six teachers, though they are waiting for final enrollment numbers.  What's more, he said he'll continue to teach at the location to stay connected to the system.

"I want to keep that connection there, so I understand what teachers are dealing with at any given moment so I can better understand their challenges," he said.

Bishop said that if enrollment doesn't reach the 150 student maximum by the March 29 cutoff, the deadline will be extended until all spots are filled.