Menifee Union Rejects Bridges Of Promise Academies Charter School Application

Cheers erupted from the audience last week after the Menifee Union School District Board of Education unanimously rejected a charter school application by Bridges of Promise Academies (BPA), citing numerous concerns.

“We’re not going to harm our schools by bringing in another charter,” Trustee Robert “Bob” O’Donnell said at the July 29 meeting. “We have charters. We do have choice in our community.”

According to the approved resolution, district staff found a number of deficiencies in the charter petition including that it was unlikely to successfully implement the program as presented due to unrealistic enrollment projections, a lack of demonstrated support from local educators and families, uncompetitive compensation and benefits and a lack of transparency regarding the relationship between BPA and Propel, A Charter Management Group, Inc., which submitted the charter petition.

District staff also found that the charter application presented an “unsound educational program” by not adequately addressing the provision of services pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and did not include “reasonably comprehensive descriptions,” of the education program, the governance structure, employee qualifications and procedures to resolve disputes regarding provisions of the charter.

Colleen Mullen, founder and chief executive officer of Propel who spoke on behalf of the charter school, said she was “surprised and disappointed,” by district staff’s recommendation to deny the application, a decision she said was based on “erroneous claims and mischaracterizations.”

“BPA believes its petition clearly demonstrates its ability and commitment to providing a high quality, innovative educational program that will be a valuable asset to this community,” she said.

Attorney Merrick Wadsworth, a partner at Procopio, the law firm representing BPA, said that all of the district staff’s concerns were addressed in a letter sent to the board the night before the meeting and posted here on the BPA website.

However, attorney Sukhi Ahluwalia, a partner at Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud and Romo who spoke on behalf of the district, said that not only was that response sent days after the district requested it be submitted, but that it did not resolve any of the issues identified with the charter petition nor did it change staff’s recommendation to deny the request.

“We have a very high obligation to the district, to the community, to every student that could potentially be served at that school, to make sure that what this board might approve is something that fulfills all of the legal requirements,” Ahluwalia said.

Also speaking out against the potential charter were Araseli Cervantes on behalf of the Menifee Council of Classified Employees and Menifee Teachers Association President Heather Tortoreti.

“While the goal of enhancing educational opportunities is commendable, it’s imperative to ensure that such initiatives do not inadvertently harm our existing public school infrastructure or the dedicated professionals who serve our students daily,” Cervantes said. “I urge the board to thoroughly assess the potential ramifications of introducing a Propel charter school into our community and to prioritize the stability and growth of our students.”

Another issue brought up by the board included the potential that BPA, and Propel, were coming into the district in an effort to capitalize on the growth of the community.

“Right now, I don’t see it in the view of helping out kids and families,” Trustee Xavier Padilla said. “Right now, I see it [as] more of a profit, where we are a growing community, and [BPA is like], “Let’s throw ourselves in there also, so that we can go ahead and get a piece of the pie.’”

Padilla, who said he was generally supportive of charter schools, said that he was discouraged by the charter’s experience was mainly with credit deficient students, which are high school students, and not the elementary and middle school students served by Menifee Union. He was also concerned about the negative impact bringing another charter into the community would have on the district as well as the other charter schools and virtual programs already operating in the district.

But, his bigger concern was that the Menifee Union board was just a “stepping stone” to potentially getting approval through the Riverside County Office of Education (RCOE) on appeal.

“After this vote, BPA will be able to go to the county and ask the county to approve the charter whether we say yes or no,” he said. “My concern is RCOE, if they’re not watching or they’re not listening, it’s important for them to understand the impact and the viewpoints that we all have, and a decision be made wise[ly] for our kids and the community.”

It was not immediately known if Propel would, on BPA’s behalf, appeal the decision to the RCOE Board of Education. The board’s next meeting is set for August 13.