Preliminary Meeting Notes for June 3, 2025

Advisory Commission on Charter Schools
Preliminary Meeting Notes

An Advisory Body to the California State Board of Education

Tuesday, June 3, 2025
California Department of Education
1430 N Street, Room 1101
Sacramento, CA 95814

Commissioners

• Helio Brasil
• Andrew Crowe
• Todd Finnell
• Erika Jones (participated remotely)
• Derek King (participated remotely)
• David Schapira1
• Matt Taylor
• Mike Walsh

California State Board of Education Liaisons

• Cynthia Glover Woods (attended remotely)
• Sharon Olken (attended remotely)

Principal Staff

• Makenna Huey, Staff Services Manager II, California Department of Education (CDE)
• Jonathan Yu, Associate Governmental Program Analyst, CDE

Agenda

Call to Order

Commissioner Walsh called the meeting to order at approximately 10 a.m.

Salute to Flag

Welcome and Introductions

Review and Adoption of Previous Meeting Notes/Minutes (Action)

Meeting Notes for April 8, 2025

Action: Commissioner Taylor moved approval of minutes.

Commissioner Brasil seconded the motion.

Yes votes: Commissioners Brasil, Crowe, Jones, King, Taylor, and Walsh
No votes: None
Absences: None
Abstentions: Commissioners Finnell and Schapira
Recusals: None

The motion passed unanimously.

Public Comment

Agenda Items

Item 01

Subject: Consideration of Requests for Determination of Funding as Required for Nonclassroom-Based Charter Schools Pursuant to California Education Code Sections 47612.5 and 47634.2, and Associated California Code of Regulations, Title 5.

CDE Recommendation: The CDE proposes to recommend that the California State Board of Education (SBE) take the following actions as detailed in Item 01 Attachment 1: Proposed Recommendations for Nonclassroom-Based Determination of Funding Requests (XLSX):

1. Approve the determination of funding requests from the following charter schools at their requested levels of funding and for the time periods provided in Attachment 1: Chawanakee Academy Charter, Clovis Online Charter, Denair Charter Academy, La Vida Charter, and Spring Lake Charter.
2. Deny the determination of funding request from Phoenix Charter Academy College View.

Actions:

• Motion 1: Commissioner Brasil moved for a recommendation to the SBE of the CDE staff recommendation to approve the determination of funding requests from Chawanakee Academy Charter, Clovis Online Charter, Denair Charter Academy, La Vida Charter, and Spring Lake Charter at their requested levels of funding and for the time periods provided in Attachment 1.
  
  Commissioner Crowe seconded the motion.
  
  Yes votes: Commissioners Brasil, Crowe, Finnell, King, Schapira, Taylor, and Walsh
  No votes: Commissioner Jones
  Absences: None
  Abstentions: None
  Recusals: None
  
  The motion passed by a vote of seven to one.
  
  
• Motion 2: Commissioner Jones moved for a recommendation to the SBE of the CDE staff recommendation to deny the determination of funding request from Phoenix Charter Academy College View.
  
  Commissioner Schapira seconded the motion.
  
  Yes votes: Commissioners Jones and Schapira
  No votes: Commissioners Brasil, Crowe, Finnell, King, Taylor, and Walsh
  Absences: None
  Abstentions: None
  Recusals: None
  
  The motion failed to pass by a vote of two to six.

• Motion 3: Commissioner Finnell moved for a recommendation to the SBE to approve funding determination for Phoenix Charter Academy College View for one year (fiscal year 2022–23) at 100 percent.
  
  

  Commissioner Brasil seconded the motion.

  Yes votes: Commissioners Brasil, Crowe, Finnell, King, Taylor, and Walsh
  No votes: Commissioners Jones and Schapira
  Absences: None
  Abstentions: None
  Recusals: None

  The motion passed by a vote of six to two.

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Item 02

Subject: Consideration of Requests for Determination of Funding with “Reasonable Basis”/Mitigating Circumstances as Required for Nonclassroom-Based Charter Schools Pursuant to California Education Code Sections 47612.5 and 47634.2, and Associated California Code of Regulations, Title 5.

CDE Recommendation: The CDE proposes to recommend that the SBE take the following actions, which are further detailed in Item 02 Attachment 1: Proposed Recommendations for Nonclassroom-Based Determination of Funding Requests with Mitigating Circumstances (XLSX):

1. Approve the determination of funding requests for three charter schools at a funding level higher than what they qualify to receive pursuant to regulatory criteria, with the consideration of mitigating circumstances, for two fiscal years
2. Approve the determination of funding requests for three charter schools at the funding levels for which they qualify to receive pursuant to regulatory criteria, for two fiscal years

Action: Commissioner Taylor moved for a recommendation to the SBE of the CDE staff recommendation.

Commissioner Finnell seconded the motion.

Yes votes: Commissioners Brasil, Crowe, Finnell, King, Schapira, Taylor, and Walsh
No votes: Commissioner Jones
Absences: None
Abstentions: None
Recusals: None

The motion passed by a vote of seven to one.

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Item 03

Subject: Reconsideration of a Request for Determination of Funding as Required for Nonclassroom-Based Charter Schools Pursuant to California Education Code Sections 47612.5 and 47634.2, California Code of Regulations, Title 5 Section 11963.6(g), and Associated California Code of Regulations, Title 5.

CDE Recommendation: The CDE proposes to recommend that the SBE approve School of Unlimited Learning (SOUL) reconsideration request with the consideration of mitigating circumstances and increase its current funding determination level from 85 percent to 100 percent for fiscal years 2024–25 and 2025–26 as specified in Item 03 Attachment 1: Proposed Recommendation to Reconsider a Nonclassroom-Based Determination of Funding (XLSX).

Action: Commissioner Brasil moved for a recommendation to the SBE of the CDE staff recommendation.

Commissioner Crowe seconded the motion.

Yes votes: Commissioners Brasil, Crowe, Finell, King, Schapira, Taylor, and Walsh
No votes: Commissioner Jones
Absences: None
Abstentions: None
Recusals: None

The motion passed by a vote of seven to one.

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Adjournment of Meeting

Commissioner Walsh adjourned the meeting at approximately 11:20 p.m.

1 Represents the State Superintendent of Public Instruction

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