Here are quick links to help answer our most frequently asked questions about the Ross Valley School District, Ross Valley Charter School, and Charter Schools in general.
What Campuses are part of the Ross Valley School District?
The Ross Valley School District has 7 school campuses. The five that are currently housing public school students are Wade Thomas, Brookside, Hidden Valley, Manor, and White Hill.
The Ross Valley School District claimed that, due to surplus space, it will be shutting down 14 classrooms at their open elementary schools.
The Deer Park campus houses the only day care and after care in Marin which receives State subsidies to serve low-income families, and which serves families from all over the County.
The Red Hill campus is currently mostly empty, with some rooms rented to children's programs but 14 classrooms unallocated.
Does California Law give Charter Schools access to District facilities?
In 2003, Prop 39 was passed, which requires school districts to provide charter school students facilities that are "reasonably equivalent" to those used by non-charter students within the district. The charter school facilities must be:
- Contiguous (located together, not spread across campus or multiple sites)
- Similarly furnished and equipped.
- Located near the area in which the charter wishes to locate
In order to be eligible for facilities under Prop. 39, charter schools must provide "reasonable projections" of their average daily attendance (ADA) of at least 80 in-district students. In-district students are those students who could attend a district school if they had not chosen to enroll in the charter school.
Are Charter Schools Public?
In California, Charter schools are Public schools, encouraging innovation and allowing schools to respond quickly to the needs of their students.