Oct. 5, 2018
From the Superintendent: Update on Bullis Charter School

District staff recently met with representatives of Bullis Charter School about the school's recent announcement of its intent to open an additional school in Mountain View in 2019-20 that would serve low-income students. The District asked them direct questions about how Bullis would serve all students.

MVWSD needs more information on:

1. Bullis’ academic performance, specifically data demonstrating success with their proposed identified targeted subgroups
1. S.E.D. (Socio-Economic Disadvantaged)
2. Latino
3. Special Education
2. A clear understanding of which District sites Bullis is proposing to use under Proposition 39, provided that Bullis enrolls 80 students from within the MVWSD boundaries.
3. An understanding how Bullis plans to target and provide a preference within their lottery systems for low-income students

Additionally, we briefly discussed the impact that a charter school would have on a school district that is undergoing a shift in boundaries.  Considering the proposed timing of their submittal and Bullis’ desire to open at the start of the 2019-20 school year, I requested that they follow the California Charter School Association’s recommendation for a charter petition submittal “in the spring 1.5 years before {Bullis’ planned opening}.”

Considering that school boundaries are changing in 2019-10, I informed the team from Bullis that it is too early to tell which sites would meet the Proposition 39 requirements for shared facilities.  With that said, I did note that the Castro / Mistral site as well as the Theuerkauf site are not viable options due to enrollment, preschool, transitional kindergarten and other District student programming.

Regardless of what comes next, we will continue to live by our District’s mission to Inspire, Prepare and Empower all of our students.  We will continue to work tirelessly to improve educational outcomes for all of our students and ensure that they reach their full potential.

Dr. Ayindé Rudolph, Superintendent