Escondido —
The Escondido Union School District board unanimously rejected a five-year renewal for Epiphany Prep Charter School last week, concluding that the school failed to meet performance criteria required to stay in operation.
Epiphany Prep, however, is challenging that denial with county and state officials, claiming that the school district relied on narrow criteria to evaluate its achievements, and failed to account for growth in student learning.
“Our growth is dramatic, and they’re not recognizing that at all,” said Epiphany Prep President David Rivera.
Epiphany Prep opened in Escondido in 2016, with the aim of serving low-income students in the city center. It now serves 750 students in transitional kindergarten through eighth grade, and offers an extended eight-hour school day, with additional before and after school programs. About 53 percent of its students are English learners, at least 91 percent are from low-income families, and 98 percent are Hispanic, according to figures the school provided.