|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
East Palo Alto Academy students and staff cheered after the Sequoia Union High School District Board of Trustees voted unanimously to renew the school’s charter for a five-year term during a school board meeting on May 8.
“Many schools worry about being renewed but we never had that fear,” said East Palo Alto Academy Principal Veronica Miranda-Pinkney. “I think we were assured from the very beginning from our superintendent that they were committed to our school and they wanted us to succeed.”
East Palo Alto Academy is a dependent public charter school in the Sequoia Union High School District that serves about 300 students. While governed by a contract with the school district, it’s exempt from most of the state’s regulations. The district however is able to hold the school accountable for student achievements, financial budgets and compliance with state education requirements.
On the night of the meeting, students, parents and staff stood at the podium asking the Board of Trustees to consider the renewal of the charter. They emphasized the strong impact that the school and its teachers have on the community, culture and wellbeing of students.
“The sense of belonging at East Palo Alto Academy from the dedicated staff to the vibrant student body to the engaging classes is something truly special, ” said graduating senior Samaya Norris. “The unwavering support of my peers and mentors have instilled in me a newfound confidence and a sense of value that is truly rare.”
When East Palo Alto Academy was founded in 2001, it was the only public high school option in East Palo Alto in 25 years, said Kate Hyle, executive director of East Palo Alto Academy Foundation.
“It’s incredibly important for kids to be able to access quality public education in their town and we have to keep working together to make sure that continues to be an option for this community,” Hyle added.
Former East Palo Alto Academy Principal Amika Guillaume said throughout the last decade the school has been committed to changing the narrative about East Palo Alto Academy, making sure people understood it was a “college-going school, dedicated to first-generation low-income students.”
“We went from 10 years ago, 23% persistence for our kids [to get into] college to 87% persistence,” Guillaume added.
East Palo Alto Academy parent Karla Facundo said the school prepares its students for college with its wide range of courses and also supports them socially and emotionally so that “they can be successful and fulfill their life goals.”
Miranda-Pinkney, who took over as principal in 2024, told this news organization that the charter renewal and recent visit from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, which grants accreditation for schools, gave the campus community an opportunity to self-reflect and identify areas for improvements.
Teachers took the time to read through the charter and make comments on needed updates that reflected the initiatives and programs that were implemented over the past years, she said. The new charter includes details on the advisory program, school mission and graduate profiles. Miranda-Pinkney said she also wanted to highlight the foundation’s 10-year Promise, which supports students through high school, college and beyond.
Notable achievements for the school include rising test scores in English, math and for English learner. In 2024, graduation rates were at 98% compared to the state average of 87% and students admitted to a four-year college nearly doubled from 30% with its first graduating class to 57% last year.
Trustee Mary Beth Thompson acknowledged that these improvements are “huge leaps.” She asked how the school would ensure that this progress will continue and be sustained.
Miranda-Pinkney explained that the school plans to continuously reflect on what works best and commit to making sure students have access to counseling, advisers for college and career readiness and maintaining a strong relationship with the foundation.
Trustee Richard Ginn asked about the school’s strategies to achieve enrollment goals as school enrollment continues to decline in the community. Miranda-Pinkney said East Palo Alto Academy started recruitment at Cesar Chavez Ravenswood Middle School earlier to form a better partnership there. Middle school students are invited to visit the high school campus and the team is also doing outreach within the community.
Trustee Amy Koo questioned how the school monitors physical wellness when East Palo Alto Academy has waived the P.E. requirement.
According to Miranda-Pinkney, the school encourages students to participate in one or more of the eight sports offered and gives them the opportunity to be involved in the high school’s partnership with the Boys and Girls Club. She added that East Palo Alto Academy is looking to partner with a donor to get YMCA memberships for students as well.
Miranda-Pinkney was thrilled by the board’s unanimous vote. “They saw that it truly was a collaborative practice, that we are working to improve things and our kids are improving. It was just beautiful to see that,” she said.
Joan Lane, trailblazing volunteer and Stanford’s go-to for ‘sticky problems,' dies at 97March 25, 2026 3:23 pm