Charters: There's no place like home

By: JENNIFER KABBANY - Staff Writer | Monday, August 29, 2005 8:34 PM PDT ∞

FRENCH VALLEY ---- The landscaping consists of dirt at this point. Athletics fields and playground equipment are still to come. The flagpoles were installed over the weekend, sans flags.

But for officials at Temecula Valley Unified School District's two charter schools, Temecula Valley Charter School and Temecula Preparatory School, the bells and whistles that will beautify their campus and serve students will come all in good time.

After years of moving from campus to campus they're finally home, and can rest easy knowing their schools will grow and flourish as the months and years progress, they said. Classes began last week at both campuses.

"It finally feels like home," said Lisa Medina, a Temecula Valley Charter first-grade teacher. "It's been a roller coaster, but being here is very settling. ... I know I won't have to pack."

Preparatory school educators said they feel the same way.

"We feel like we're home," said Teresa Heine, a sixth-grade teacher at Temecula Preparatory School. "We know that the campus is going to grow up around us. We're excited to watch."

The kindergarten-through-eighth-grade Temecula Valley Charter has moved seven times in 11 years. Temecula Preparatory, which serves students in kindergarten through 12th grade, has moved four times in five years.

The schools, chartered through the Temecula district, were moved from other district campuses to make way for student growth. The district is required by law to accommodate them.

The final move for the two charters took place over the summer. District officials moved the schools' classrooms, about 50 portables, from their former home at Susan La Vorgna Elementary School in French Valley. Buying the land and moving the portables cost $11 million, said Dave Gallaher, director of facilities.

"We are functional now, but it's going to be gorgeous," said Temecula Valley Charter School Principal Jo Ann Burnett, adding that the campus is planning a big homecoming party for October.

She said the winter's heavy rains generated soil problems at the site, which complicated an already short time frame to move the two schools over the summer.

Although things were tight ---- the water was not turned on until the very last minute and electricity to the computer lab was connected just Monday ---- the school opened last week just one day later than originally scheduled, she said.

"This is nothing short of a feat of extravagant proportions," Burnett said of the move. "It's been difficult for everybody. Outside working in this heat is no picnic."

The schools' new site is about two miles southeast of their former location off Winchester Road and Algarve Avenue. Because roads are not complete in the area, motorists must access the schools from Benton Road and Washington Street, also off Winchester Road, a detour that adds some time and mileage to parents' daily commute.

Eventually, several roads will connect and reduce the drive time, school officials said.

The charter schools' shared 26.5 acres is adjacent to the site of the district's fourth high school, which is expected to open to students in 2008. Aside from rolling hillsides, the campuses, which are situated next to each other, are surrounded by new homes and housing construction.

The new campuses consist of portable classrooms. Each of the charters has received more than $2 million in state funds to build permanent multipurpose rooms to conduct assemblies, produce student plays and provide a place for indoor sports. Construction on the multipurpose rooms is expected to begin within the year, officials said.

Both schools also expect to slowly increase student enrollments and add classrooms as the years progress, officials said.

Burnett said Temecula Valley Charter will use some of the money it received from the state to buy 11 classrooms within the next few years. The school's enrollment is 275 students and there is a waiting list for every grade except third and sixth. Burnett said she expects the school to reach about 550 students at capacity.

The preparatory school currently has about 430 students and expects to eventually peak its enrollment at 720 to 750 students, said Paul Stich, one of the school's headmasters. There is a long waiting list for kindergarten through 10th grade, and the school grows by about 25 students each year, he said.

Temecula Preparatory School and Temecula Valley Charter School are unique in their approach to educating students, and both post above-average state test scores.

At the preparatory school, educators focus on phonics, classical literature, art, French and Latin, composition and hands-on science, as well as the traditional history and geography studies. The school emphasizes discipline, ethical values, personal responsibility and respectfulness. Homework is substantial and a high level of academic performance is expected. Uniforms are required as well.

Temecula Valley Charter takes a different approach to student learning. It mixes a traditional curriculum with instruction in Spanish and art, as well as plenty of work in computer labs and numerous field trips. The school also mandates that parents volunteer part-time at the school, and a hands-on approach to education is emphasized with almost every subject.

Contact staff writer Jennifer Kabbany at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2625, or jkabbany@californian.com.