A new charter school, with an emphasis on computer science immersion, could replace Bernardo Yorba Middle School in the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District if the board gives it the OK.
Orange County School of Computer Science presented its proposal to the PYLUSD board in October for a charter school with an in-depth computer science program for up to 1,000 seventh- and eighth-grade students. The charter would fully take over the Yorba Linda middle school campus beginning in the 2024-25 school year.
Beth Fisher, the Bernardo Yorba principal and lead petitioner for OCSCS, is spearheading the request, saying that the school is “needed after the detrimental losses this community faces due to the aftermath of COVID-19.”
“The clearly identified learning deficiencies in the district in the area of mathematics and language arts has caused community concern and a demand that our schools address these gaps while increasing opportunities for students,” said Fisher. “OCSCS presents this petition as a means to address the needs identified by the community.”
What the new charter is slated to look like
The charter school is seeking to affiliate with the district where it could utilize its resources and keep the PYLUSD board as its governing body while also implementing its own curriculum, said Fisher.
If the charter is approved, Bernardo Yorba students would be allowed to attend OCSCS or transfer to the next closest middle school in the district, Fisher said during the Oct. 10 meeting. The closest middle school is Travis Ranch Middle School, about 3 miles away.
Teachers and staff, too, would remain at the school and be trained on the respective curriculum, said Fisher.
“I could not be more pleased with our school staff’s nearly unanimous meaningful support to convert the current Bernardo Yorba Middle School into a charter school that, pending PYLUSD board approval, will be the model for all future schools in the country,” said Fisher.
OCSCS…
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