Charter schools will dominate the discussion for the Morongo Unified School District Board of trustees tonight. Reporter David Haldane has details…
Will the Morongo Unified School District double its number of charter schools next year?
At its regular meeting tonight, the board of education will receive two petitions. One is from Hope Academy in Yucca Valley, the district’s only existing charter, now asking to be recertified after five years. The second is from newcomer Hi-Desert Cultural Center petitioning to start a new charter school called the Joshua Tree Arts and Technology Academy.
District officials say the board could conceivably approve both petitions, thus doubling the number of charter schools, or reject both, reducing the number to zero.
The outcome will be determined by two public hearings, the first of which – focusing on Hope Academy – is tentatively scheduled for March 22. For the rest of it, well, officials say, you’ll just have to stay tuned.
Tonight’s meeting convenes in open session 7 p.m. at Joshua Tree Elementary School on Sunburst Avenue.
SCHOOL BOARD CONSIDERS THE FUTURE OF CHARTER SCHOOLS
