Sonoma Charter School History
Sonoma Charter School (SCS) was granted state charter number #009 in February 1993. The school was founded by a group of Sonoma Valley parents, teachers and community members who were seeking an alternative educational opportunity that could serve the families within the Valley and the surrounding areas. SCS began operations in September 1994. Originally Sonoma Charter School was designed as a year-round school and prided itself on the arts being a major component within the curriculum of the school. Multi-age classes provided the opportunity to teach to the philosophies aligned with project based, thematic and integrated curriculum. Over the past seventeen years, changes in state mandates, school personnel, family population and educational climate have affected the original model of the school, yet the basic philosophy and vision of the school has remained strong.
CHARTER SCHOOL DEFINITION
A charter school is organized by a group of teachers, community members, and parents and is sponsored by an authorizer. An authorizer can be a local public school district, the county office of education or the state department of education in Sacramento. The specific goals and operating procedures of the charter school are spelled out in the ‘charter agreement’ between the organizers (school) and the authorizers (sponsors). Charter schools are free from many California State Education regulations, allowing for increased flexibility in exchange for increased accountability. The key purpose of these schools is to improve student learning by providing an alternative approach to learning that may not be provided in other local public schools. Charters are granted for five-year periods and are renewable by the sponsoring authorizer. Charter schools may not discriminate. Charter schools receive funding from the same sources as other public schools, yet the funding is not equal. Presently Sonoma Charter School receives approximately 68 cents for every dollar the Sonoma Valley District receives in educational revenue.
