Spring Forward: Planting Seeds for Charter Renewal Success

Spring is a season of renewal, growth, and preparation—just like the crucial work needed now for the 274 California charter schools facing renewal in 2025-2026, including 72 within Los Angeles Unified School District. For many, this renewal cycle is the first since Assembly Bill 1505 significantly altered renewal criteria. Just as spring gardening requires planning and nurturing, charter renewal demands proactive steps and daily care to ensure a thriving future.

Learning from Recent Renewal Challenges

Recent experiences of schools facing renewal underscore the importance of preparation and ongoing care:

• KIPP Sol Academy (LAUSD): Initially denied due to academic performance concerns, KIPP Sol successfully appealed, emphasizing how continuous nurturing of academic excellence strengthens renewal prospects.

• Los Angeles Leadership Academy (LAUSD) and Crete Academy (LAUSD): Both faced denials and remain in uncertain appeal processes, highlighting the necessity of consistently tending to renewal readiness.

• American Indian Model Schools (Oakland USD): Despite outstanding academic results, governance and management allegations created serious renewal threats, demonstrating the critical importance of proactively addressing operational and governance issues throughout the school year.

  
  

Plant Your Renewal Success Today: Three Steps to Begin Now

Community Leadership Strategies (CLS) helps charter schools cultivate renewal readiness—from general advice to custom-tailored plans. Here are three practical actions to plant seeds of renewal success:

1. Assess Your Soil (Evaluate Your Risk): Use our Charter School Renewal Risk Assessment—a quick 17-question tool providing immediate insights into your renewal readiness and essential steps to strengthen your position.

2. Nurture Your Growth (Refine Your Narrative): Continually gather and enhance data reflecting your school’s performance, governance strength, and community impact. Regularly tending to these elements simplifies renewal efforts and fortifies your application.

3. Build Strong Roots (Cultivate Ongoing Support): Consistently engage with stakeholders, families, and community partners. Deep, healthy roots of support built through daily interactions ensure robust advocacy and backing during renewal.

CLS also offers a practical Submission and Appeal Date Calculator, helping you plan the ideal timing for your renewal submission. Submitting in summer allows you to complete critical renewal preparations early, maintaining your school's primary focus on students and learning throughout the academic year.

Why Plant Seeds of Renewal Now?

Just as planting early in spring yields better harvests, integrating renewal preparation into your daily operations prevents rushed submissions, incomplete data, and missed opportunities. Starting now ensures you can nurture a strong, confident application without distracting from your main priority—your students.

Your First Step Towards a Thriving Renewal

Take our Charter School Renewal Risk Assessment or schedule a free consultation today. Spring forward now, proactively shaping your school's flourishing future with CLS by your side.

Don’t wait. Begin planting today for renewal success tomorrow.

A fruitful weekend was spent planting in the home garden, establishing new growth beneath sunny skies.