A lot of misinformation has been circulated about Ross Valley Charter and it's relationship to the Ross Valley School District. Read below to learn the real story about RVC.
Ross Valley Charter is Democracy in Action
RUMOR: Charters = Taxation without representation.
FACT: If the Ross Valley School District had approved RVC’s charter petition, the Ross Valley School District Board would have authority over RVC’s operation. However, RVSD chose not to approve the petition, essentially choosing not to have any authority over RVC.
Ross Valley Charter is authorized and overseen by the California State Board of Education, which holds RVC accountable to democratically-created California laws governing charter schools. RVC has complied with all California law and is in good standing with the State.
RVC’s board adheres to the Brown Act and their meetings are open to the public so that and anyone can attend.
Ross Valley Charter Enrollment Facts
RUMOR: RVC has a current enrollment of 119 in-district students, 17 of whom are are not validated as district residents. The RVC petition said they would have 190 students in 2017/18 - a considerable variance that the California Department of Education continues to disregard.
FACT: RVC has a current enrollment of 119 in-district students and has met the residency validation requirements for all these students, in accordance with the Facilities Use Agreement signed by RVC and the District.
The California Department of Education requires that RVC enroll at least 165 students by June of 2018. RVC is currently serving 156 students and expects to surpass 165 before the end of the school year.
Financial Impact of RVC
RUMOR: Lawsuits and other actions by RVC have already cost RVSD over $500,000. The impact on the educational experience of RVSD students will be huge.
FACT: Since the days of conflict at Manor, MAP and now RVC have implored RVSD work with them toward solutions that benefit the entire community. In fact, RVC would likely not exist, and certainly no legal actions would have been necessary, if RVSD would work with its constituents in good faith instead of contributing to community-wide conflict.
As far as financial impact, District staff recommended a “positive certification” of RVSD’s 12/17 Interim Budget Report, saying it had a positive outlook for 2017/18, 2018/19, and 2019/20. They further stated that “The impact of the charter was far less than anticipated” and loss of per-pupil revenue was offset by savings from the departure of the six senior MAP teachers.
Ross Valley Charter Allocation Facts
RUMOR: The charter doesn’t even have enough students to fill the space they have currently.
FACT: RVC is serving 159 students in 8 crowded classrooms on the White Hill campus. Due to the growth in enrollment since RVC opened, the school has had to shift art, music and other specialized teachers onto carts in order to use every classroom as a homeroom classroom. By comparison, 40% of all classrooms in RVSD’s four elementary schools are dedi- cated to special purposes like art, music, after-school child care, special education, computer labs, meeting rooms, etc.