Healdsburg's New Charter School Likely to Expand

Response has been so positive to school that its governing board is considering expanding classes, officials said Wednesday.

"I'm going to be meeting with the n December to talk about adding a first grade and a second grade class," Principal Stephanie Feith told HUSD board members at Wednesday night's meeting at

Feith said she hopes to have a decision ready by the end of January, when the district will have a parents' information night on the charter school. Applications to register for the 2012-13 school year are due by March 1, she said.

A proposed expansion was one of several tweaks announced Wednesday to the new charter school program, which started in August for the 2011-12 school year. Healdsburg's charter school is on the campus of Healdsburg Elementary School and shares some HUSD facilitities services, but it has its own governing board and operated autonomously.

Other tweaks included a unanimous OK for language editing changes on an application for a $360,000 state Board of Education startup grant. State officials denied the first application, but encouraged HUSD to resubmit the application after HUSD reworks it to conform more closely to state guidelines on autonomy of charter schools.

Also Wednesday, the HUSD board voted unanimously to add more physical education time at the elementary school level -- including at the charter school.

"I want to see all kids in K - 5 get the state-mandated minimum of 200 minutes of PE every 10 days," said HUSD Board member . "That's 20 minutes every day."

Meanwhile, Feith said the atmosphere at the The children are enthusiastic about participating on a wide range of projects -- including crafts and even landscaping around Healdsburg Plaza, she said.

HUSD Board Vice President Genevieve Llerena said several parents of charter school students told her that their children get up in the morning and look forward to going to school.

"A school is only as good as the people who work there," said HUSD Superintendent Jeff Harding. "And this school has tremendous people.

"The amount of time it takes to create and implement this kind of curriculum is huge," Harding added. "The teachers work long hours to make this happen."

Feith said the feedback from parents is that "the teachers are kindhearted, fun, spirited and challenging," Feith said.

"They say their kids love going to school, and the kids are loving to learn," Feith added. "That's really what it's all about."