This article was written by BenitoLink intern Meghan Lee. Lea este artículo en español aquí.
After hearing testimony from Hollister Prep staff, parents, and legal counsel, Hollister School District board members unanimously voted to renew the school’s facilities use agreement, allowing it to remain at R.O. Hardin.
Staff from both schools had anticipated the May 27 board meeting since the April meeting when the board split its vote on the decision and left Hollister Prep in limbo.
Navigator Prep Schools CEO Caprice Young , whose organization includes Hollister Prep, said she hoped the school and the district could work out a long-term plan before the board votes on next year’s agreement.
“I’m hoping that before we come back next year to ask again, we’ll be able to work with the superintendent to create a longer term plan so that we don’t have to come back next year,” Young said.
In April, board members Elizabeth Martinez and Jan Grist voted against the agreement but did not comment on changing their votes at the May meeting.
The decision comes as Hollister Prep is in the middle of an attempt to find new space. Young had previously spoken about the school buying the building where KMart used to be. According to Young, the school is still pursuing that plan, and she said she hopes to move Hollister Prep to that space by 2028.
Charter schools can be more flexible than public schools with how they purchase and develop land, but that also can put a financial strain on their operations.
“What that means is that if we have to pay, say, 10-15% of our revenue (on a school site), that’s money that’s not in the classroom anymore,” Young said.
Multiple parents, staff, former and current students at Hollister Prep spoke at the meeting, including Kathryn Elam, the parent of a Hollister Prep student, who emphasized the importance of stability in her comment.
“A stable school experience allows children to build relationships, focus on learning, provide a sense of belonging, predictability, and support, fostering positive social and emotional wellbeing,” Elam said. “Conversely, frequent school changes or disruptions can negatively impact a child’s wellbeing and overall academic performance.”
Hanna Rodriquez was the only commenter at the meeting who spoke against the agreement, and said the shared space causes issues between the different grade levels at the schools.
“There have been several circumstances where my students have gone to the bathroom and report back that they’ve been physically pushed or belittled by an upper-grade HPS student,” Rodriquez said. “The HPS school goes to eighth grade while we can only go to fifth. My students return to class crying and they do not feel safe using the bathroom.”
Tomislav Peraic, general counsel for Navigator Schools, spoke at the meeting on behalf of Hollister Prep andtold the board that it has a legal responsibility under Prop. 39 to provide the school with facilities.
“I’m just here to help the board look at the statute and regulations and let you know that the word in the statute and regulations is shall, not may,” Peraic said.
Also during the meeting, Ken Reynolds, a demographer from Schoolworks, presented statistics for the whole district including projections of enrollment growth over the next six years, as well as capacity estimates for each of the schools.
Two Hollister School District teachers also gave public comment at the meeting, asking the board to consider reclassifying staff that work with medically fragile students.
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