2 Temecula Charter Schools Qualify For 2-Year Extension

TEMECULA, CA — Two charter schools in Temecula will likely get a green light to continue operating beyond the current dates that their charters expire.

Temecula Preparatory School and Temecula Valley Charter School are expected to each receive a two-year extension during Tuesday's Temecula Valley Unified School District's Board of Trustees meeting.

The reason has nothing to do with local policies. Instead, it's the result of an education trailer bill signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom this summer. The legislation known as Assembly Bill 130 was tacked on to this year's state budget — a budget that provided record funding for public education.

AB-130 fleshed out how education dollars are to be spent. Buried in the legislation is language specifying that all California charter schools with terms expiring on or between January 1, 2022, and June 30, 2025, shall have their terms extended by two additional years.

On April 17, 2018, the TVUSD Governing Board approved Temecula Valley Charter School's charter for a five-year term beginning July 1, 2018. Based on AB-130, Temecula Valley Charter School’s charter term will likely be extended during Tuesday's board meeting to June 30, 2025.

It's a similar situation for Temecula Preparatory School. The school's five-year charter was approved by the TVUSD Governing Board on February 21, 2017, and the charter began July 1, 2017. Temecula Preparatory School’s charter term is now set to be extended until June 30, 2024.

No action is required by the charter schools for the extension.

A charter school is a public school that can provide instruction in any combination of grades kindergarten through 12. Parents, teachers, or community members can initiate a charter petition, with the TVUSD Governing Board having the power to approve or deny a charter within its boundaries.

Charter status frees schools from many of the state statutes and regulations that apply to school districts.

Temecula Preparatory School was founded in 2000; Temecula Valley Charter School originated in 1994. Typically, charter schools must renew their charters at least every five years.