The bad news for South Bay Preparatory Charter School is that it didn't meet its self-imposed fundraising deadline of June 15. The good news is it still has a chance to remain open for the 2010-11 school year.
After falling well short of their $100,000 goal as of June 15, school officials remain optimistic about efforts to keep the school alive, encouraged by rising enrollment, a lower deficit and continued community interest and donations. The nonprofit public school offers students an alternative learning model, one that focuses on hands-on projects that give students more stake in what they want to learn.
And while school officials believe there's a need for that type of learning, they must convince others to buy into the concept through increased enrollment and contributions. The fundraising campaign is in full swing and there's reason to be optimistic, board president Stephanie Brown said.
South Bay Prep, at 3275 Williams Road, has commitments of close to $50,000 so far and enrollment for the next school year is at 37 students, three shy of the official goal of 40 by this time. About 33 percent of those students come from within the boundaries of the Campbell Union High School District.
"We've built a lot of momentum. We've got a lot of enthusiasm and confidence in our fundraising, and we're finding a lot of confidence in our community," Brown said.
The Santa Clara County Office of Education granted South Bay Prep its charter
a couple of years ago, but the school has struggled to get off the ground. It opened last fall and almost immediately faced a number of problems, as enrollment dropped, debt increased and teachers came and went.
School officials attributed those problems to their ambitious expansion goals, Brown said. She added that new pieces are in place to ensure things go more smoothly next school year.
South Bay Prep has hired a charter school consultant and brought in more experienced teachers. The school has also found a permanent location, behind a church on Williams Road. The majority of the summer will be dedicated to bolstering enrollment and securing funds.
School officials must routinely provide reports to the county office of education, which has been closely monitoring