Accountability

Rationale for County Charter

“A county board of education may approve a countywide charter only if it finds, in addition to the other requirements of this section, that the educational services to be provided by the charter school will offer services to a pupil population that will benefit from those services and that cannot be served as well by a charter school that operates in only one school district in the county.” Education Code § 47605.6(a)(1).

“A county board of education may grant a charter for the operation of a charter school under this part only if it is satisfied that granting the charter is consistent with sound educational practice and that the charter school has reasonable justification for why it could not be established by petition to a school district pursuant to Section 47605.” Education Code § 47605.6(b).

In reviewing the educational and physical landscape in San Benito County, the San Benito County Polytechnic Academy leadership, along with a team of advisors, understand that the challenges of developing and maintaining a small, highly targeted academic program often limit the opportunities for students, especially underserved students on the wrong side of the achievement gap in smaller districts. The idea of providing a unique and consistent educational program that is not only highly personalized but that operates across San Benito County, drawing on the scale of need across all of San Benito County, will make the program’s benefits equally and equitably accessible to all students residing in the county regardless of their district of residence. This is the core of why the Charter School seeks to operate as a countywide benefit charter school.