Support Vallejo Students - Deny Caliber Charter Petition

VCUSD Board of Trustees

All Vallejo students deserve high-quality neighborhood public schools! When we invest in resources, supports, and opportunities for our students, they will thrive. Unfortunately, the Caliber charter school chain is asking the VCUSD board to approve a new 600 student high school in Vallejo. Allowing another privately-run charter school in Vallejo will harm our district students and the VCUSD board should reject the petition! Not only is this charter unlikely to be successful, it will take critical resources away from the students in Vallejo high schools. Our students cannot afford to lose more programs, more classes, and more resources at a time when we should be expanding the opportunities in our comprehensive community high schools.

Please sign this petition to let the VCUSD Board know that you oppose this charter school petition and instead want them to focus on ensuring Vallejo schools are as strong as possible for all our students. We also encourage you to attend the special school board hearing on December 15 and speak out for denial of the petition.

Sponsored by
Support_vallejo_students_vea_csea_logo_(1)
Support Vallejo Students!
Vallejo, CA

To: VCUSD Board of Trustees
From: [Your Name]

All Vallejo students deserve high-quality neighborhood public schools! When we invest in resources, supports, and opportunities for our students, they will thrive.

The VCUSD board should reject the Caliber Charter chain expansion petition which will harm students in Vallejo schools. The petition should be rejected for the negative fiscal impact it will have for VCUSD students, the district’s inability to absorb the fiscal impact of the charter, the charter school chain’s failure to serve the interests of all students in the community, and Caliber’s failure to articulate a comprehensive plan to enroll students with disabilities, English learners and homeless youth at levels comparable to the district.​

Approving this charter school could result in an up to 18% loss of high school students for Vallejo City Unified, and fewer students would mean significant cuts to resources for the high school students left in our school district.

If the proposed school is approved, the total loss to VCUSD students, programs and services would be between $1.3 and $1.6 million in the first year alone, and up to $17.8 and $22 million cumulative by the end of the charter’s term in 5 years.

Vallejo students deserve strong schools, with adequate supports and services so they can thrive - not cuts.

Vallejo City Unified has the tools under the law to reject this charter school petition so Vallejo students are not harmed by draconian cuts. In fact, changes to the charter school law in 2019 gave districts like Vallejo, that are unable to absorb the fiscal impact of a new charter school, an almost fail-proof ability to deny new petitions like this one from Caliber.

Further, Caliber charter school chain has a track record of failing to serve all students. Not only has Caliber historically enrolled lower incidences of students with moderate-severe disabilities than the district, and higher numbers of students with mild-mod than the district, but the chain also enrolls lower numbers of English learners and NO homeless youth.

We call upon the VCUSD Board of Trustees to support and protect all Vallejo students and deny the Caliber charter petition.