Schools

IB Charter School Plans Move Forward with Emphasis on Technology

The new school will have an emphasis on 21st century skills and seventh and eighth graders may receive their own laptops.

The South Bay Union School District (SBUSD) Board of Trustees approved an agreement Thursday between the district and two of its schools to move forward with plans to create a charter school. 

The Imperial Beach Charter School would combine Imperial Beach Elementary School and West View Early Learning Center into a single K-8 school. If trustees and school staff approve the petition, it will then be submitted to the California Department of Education next month.

If the state approves the petition to create the charter school, classes will begin with the new school year in July with space for up to 75 seventh graders. Eighth grade classes will begin the following year.

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The first draft of the petition was presented to the Board of Trusteese Thursday.

Curriculum will be developed up until the school opens, but "21st century learning skills" will be emphasized at the new school.

Find out what's happening in Imperial Beachwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"The 21st century learning skills have to do with creativity and innovation and problem solvers and critical thinkers and so that is written into the guide to curriculum development," said Assistant Superintendent Shelley Burgess.  

"We do have written into the document the infusion of technology throughout the curriculum," she said. "We know we compete with Coronado cause they have the laptop program and we have students who leave us to become part of that program at Coronado." 

"So what's proposed is 1:1 device to student ratio for technology and beginning that with sixth and seventh grade," she said. The school's emphases will eventually become a part of the K-6 curriculum.

The school must be open to all that apply but preference will be given to students from Imperial Beach in a 3:1 ratio, Burgess said.

Current students, siblings of current students and the children of trustees and school staff will be given priority.

In order to attend the new school, students must apply and parents must attend informational meetings.

"It's been really important to us that parents understand what the school will be and won't be," Burgess said.

A student's academic standing or capacity to speak English will not play a role in whether or not they can attend the new school, but a student's conduct, attendance and effort may be taken into consideration.

Should the school receive more applications then there are spots to fill, a lottery may be held. If the proposed K-8 school becomes popular in the future, other students beyond seventh and eighth grade may also have to participate in a lottery or waiting list.

A final draft of the petition will be presented to the board for approval March 8.

Before the petition is approved by the district's board, staff at IB Elementary and West View Early Learning Center will be asked to approve or disapprove of the charter in a Feb. 29 vote. In order to move forward, 51 percent of staff must approve the petition.

Two to three additional teachers will be hired in March and April, and parents and students will find out if their application to attend the school was accepted in May. 

The board also approved an agreement Thursday evening between the Sweetwater Union High School District and SBUSD regarding seventh and eighth grade charter students.


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