A charter school in the Capistrano Unified School District needs more space, and in order to provide it, the Board of Trustees is weighing which of two school campuses to close.
Community Roots Academy has been sharing the campus of Woods Canyon Elementary School in Aliso Viejo since it opened in 2011. The charter, however, has grown from an initial 100 students in K-5 grades to 600 students in K-8. Community Roots is chartered to serve a maximum of 700 students and has a sizable waiting list, but to grow further, it needs more room.
Last May, a request was made of Capo Unified for more space so that Community Roots could expand to its full allowable size, and the decision was made to close an under-enrolled campus. Naturally, there has been a reaction from some of the parents of children at schools that are being considered for closure.
The schools, Wood Canyon Elementary in Aliso Viejo and Crown Valley Elementary in Laguna Niguel, each have vocal supporters. Helped by a flurry of emails and the services of a flyer printing company, campaigning parents at each of the two schools have rallied support. They will be on hand at the school board meeting tomorrow, September 23, to make the case for keeping their children’s schools open.
