Oxnard School Board to Vote Oct. 28 on Revoking Ruelas Bilingual Academy Charter
The Board of Trustees of the Oxnard Union High School District, in Ventura County, California, is scheduled to hold a public hearing and vote on Wednesday, October 28, on whether to revoke the charter of Dr. Ernesto S. Ruelas Bilingual Academy. The hearing and vote are set for 5 p.m. at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center, 800 Hobson Way in Oxnard.
The board voted on October 22 to move forward with the revocation process. The charter school was founded in 2021 by Dr. Ernesto S. Ruelas, a former district administrator, together with a group of teachers. It teaches in both Spanish and English, and about half of its students are children of migrant farmworkers. Since the process began in August, about 100 parents, students and community members have protested, and roughly 800 people have signed a petition opposing revocation.
District officials cite the school's state test scores, which they say are significantly below district and state averages; its campus, a leased church site without science labs or a library; and its finances, including declining enrollment, a structural deficit and overspending. Under the published agenda, the board will hear public comment before voting on whether to revoke the charter.
School leaders and supporters dispute the district's account. They say students have made significant gains on the California Science Test (CAST), attendance is above the district average, and the district's data is inaccurate. Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers, has sent a letter supporting the school. The result will be announced after the hearing.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：Oxnard High School 校园（资料图），该校为 Oxnard 联合高中学区下属学校。Photo: Oxnard High School, a school in the Oxnard Union High School District (file photo). Fettlemap, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
