Demand a Final Review Prior to Approval of MPCS Agreement
Authorizing a charter petition and executing a charter agreement are not the same thing.
The period between approval and execution is the Board’s final opportunity to ensure that all material representations relied upon in granting approval are complete, accurate, and operationally viable.
The questions raised here go to the core of whether the charter school is prepared to open in a manner that is educationally sound, fiscally responsible, and compliant with its legal obligations—particularly for students with disabilities and for the district community as a whole. Ensuring these issues are resolved prior to execution protects students, taxpayers, and the integrity of the authorization process itself.
Taking this step is not about revisiting the vote; it is about fulfilling the Board’s duty to confirm that all conditions and assumptions underlying approval have, in fact, been met before the charter is allowed to become operational.
Here are a few ways to help ensure there is a final review of the MPCS agreement: Be sure to act fast — the Charter Agreement is slated to be on the March 12 Board Agenda for approval.
Copy the text below and send it to the Trustees and the Superintendent - we have pre-filled links on the Contact page for you to use.
Download this checklist and send it to the Trustees and the Superintendent.
Attend Trustee Office Hours and present them with the questions and/or checklist.
Attend the March 7 Study Session and give public comment on the MPCS Agreement.
Dear [Superintendent / Trustees],
Following the Board’s approval of the MacArthur Park Charter School (MPCS) petition, I am requesting clarification and additional information prior to execution of the charter agreement, based on the District staff findings presented to the Board. Given the Board’s fiduciary, oversight, and governance responsibilities, it is important that material issues identified in the staff report are adequately resolved and documented before the agreement becomes operative.
This request is intended to ensure that the charter agreement accurately reflects the school’s operational readiness and that approval rests on complete, accurate, and verified information.
1. Educational Program Design, Courses of Study, and Districtwide Impact
The staff report finds that the petition contains inadequate descriptions of the educational program, does not provide legally required courses of study for all proposed grade levels, and fails to present a sound educational program that meets the needs of the students the Charter School intends to serve. The District further found that educationally sound portions of the proposed program are duplicative of existing District offerings for which the District has sufficient capacity, and that authorization of the Charter School would substantially undermine District programs and the interests of the broader school community.
Prior to execution, please clarify:
How MPCS has revised or supplemented its educational program description to provide a reasonably comprehensive, coherent, and legally sufficient instructional model
How legally required courses of study for all grades served will be implemented
How, if at all, the proposed program has been modified to address staff findings regarding duplication of District programs and broader districtwide impact
2. Staffing Model and Program Implementation
The staff report notes that the staffing information provided fails to adequately support the needs of students and employees and identifies the presence of two inconsistent staffing plans, creating uncertainty regarding how the educational program would be implemented in practice. Please clarify:
Which staffing model will govern operations at opening
How staffing assignments align with the proposed instructional program
How staffing levels, credentials, and roles adequately support the educational program described
3. Special Education Capacity and SELPA Participation
Staff found that the petition does not demonstrate adequate preparation to serve students with disabilities, relies on generic plans, and fails to describe specific measures for identification, service delivery, or SELPA participation. Prior to execution, please clarify:
The specific procedures MPCS will use to identify students eligible for special education and related services
The detailed service delivery model, including staffing, credentials, and anticipated caseloads
The status, timeline, and contingencies associated with SELPA participation
How MPCS will meet its special education obligations if SELPA participation is delayed or denied
4. Fiscal Planning and Budget Assumptions
The staff report identifies significant lapses in budget planning, inconsistencies in financial information, and a failure to account for known or reasonably foreseeable costs, concluding that Petitioners are demonstrably unlikely to successfully implement the proposed program as presented. Please clarify:
How the budget has been revised to consistently and comprehensively account for all operational costs
Whether any projected revenues, including donations or grants, have been formally secured
How MPCS will remain fiscally solvent if optimistic revenue assumptions do not materialize
5. Consistency and Fairness of Charter Agreement Terms
To support transparent and consistent governance, please clarify how the district will ensure that the MPCS charter agreement is fair, comparable, and materially equivalent to agreements with other district-authorized charter schools. In particular, please identify any proposed deviations in oversight expectations, fiscal arrangements, access to facilities or services, reporting requirements, or access to district resources, and provide the rationale for any such differences.
Given the significance of the issues identified in the staff report, I respectfully request that these clarifications be provided in writing and shared with the full Board prior to execution of the charter agreement.
Thank you for your attention to these matters and for supporting a thorough and well-documented process.