Magnolia Science Academy - Santa Clara (msa-sc) is seeking to provide enrollment priority to neighborhood students to enhance its financial assistance eligibility and is temporarily located at a site while a new facility is constructed. The academy has a strong academic record, with numerous student achievements and is focused on serving the community's educational needs in STEM. Additionally, due to challenges related to facility location and enrollment, msa-sc is managing financial difficulties but plans to strengthen its enrollment and support through community connections.

1. REQUEST:
MATERIAL REVISION TO PROVIDE ENROLLMENT
PRIORITY TO NEIGHBORHOOD STUDENTS
• MSA-SC is committed to serving students and families in San Jose.
• We’d like to provide enrollment priority to neighborhood students
to increase our FRL enrollment and qualify for SB740 facilities
lease support.
• MSA-SC will be staying at the current site for up to two years
while a new facility is built nearby on appropriately zoned vacant
land.
• Once a new site has been secured, at the request of the SCCOE
staff, all affected local school districts will be notified.
• This presentation is designed to provide an update to the SCCOE
Board of Education.
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2. MAGNOLIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
SUCCESS & DEMOGRAPHICS STATEWIDE
• Flagship school opened in 2002. Now 11 schools serve 3,400 students.
• US News & World Report recognized Magnolia Science Academy (MSA) 1
(90% FRL) four years in a row as a BEST HIGH SCHOOL, setting the GOLD
standard in 2015
• Our robotics team will compete in the World VEX Robotics Competition in
Kentucky – April 2016
• Our HS students are invited to participate in the International Environment
Projects Competition in Texas – April 2016
• Two of our middle school students earned 1st places in the LA County
Science Fair – March 2016
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
70.00%
80.00%
90.00%
100.00%
MPS Free Reduced % MPS SPED % MPS English Learner % MPS Total Enrollment
3,427 Students
77.01%
12.93%
10.24%
100%
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3. 2015-16:
MSA SANTA CLARA BEGAN IMPLEMENTATION OF
COMMON CORE CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION
MPS invested in Common Core
ready Math and ELA curriculum
which are implemented at MSA-SC.
Math and ELA classes adopted the
Common Core aligned McGraw Hill
textbooks, with online components
using Study Sync and ConnectED.
Study Sync
• Inclusion of audio for the text /
writing prompts / Blast!
• Use the annotation features to
prepare students to the SBAC
FuelEd online courses taught blended
learning style (with in-person support
and group projects) allow students
access to diverse courses despite
small school size.
ConnectED
ALEKS: All Math students use ALEKS
as support to curriculum
Thrively.Com to assess and support
our students’ strengths
• Student interest based
exploration program
• Extension life skills
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4. MSA SANTA CLARA:
STUDENTS SUCCEED ACADEMICALLY AND
COMPETITIVELY
905 API score
MathCounts:
• Placed 7th in Chapter. 8th grader won
1st place in countdown round and
advanced to the state finals.
• Student became State Champion and
advanced to the national level
• Placed 16th at the nationals
Science Synopsis: 8 students won
awards
Student won Silver at I-SWEEEP
Made Honor Roll as a school in
AMC-8 (American Mathematics
Competition)
FTC Robotics: Placed 8th in the area
tournament
In March 2016, GreatSchool.org
recognized MSA Santa Clara as
one of only seven high schools
in the Bay Area with 100% of
disadvantaged students on track
to graduate UC eligible.
http://www.greatschools.org/community/15-sf-bay-area/spotlight/?
gradeLevel=h&sortAscOrDesc=desc&sortBreakdown=economically_disadva
ntaged&sortBy=a_through_g
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5. THE CALIFORNIA STATE AUDITOR AND
THE SUPERIOR COURT DEFENDED MPS
In June 2014, LAUSD rescinded its
conditional approval of two schools’
charter petitions. MPS sought and
was granted a preliminary legal
injunction to allow the schools to
remain open by the Superior Court of
Los Angeles County in July 2014.
LAUSD settled to avoid legal action
in March 2015, renewing the
charters.
“We found that LAUSD may have
acted prematurely as its decision
was based on a summary of draft
findings that did not provide key
context about the financial
situations of those academies and it
did not provide sufficient time for
the Foundation to respond to its
criticisms.”
- California State Auditor’s report published on
May 7, 2015
Magnolia could not open more schools in
Santa Clara due to the LAUSD actions
against the CMO. While not without flaws,
Magnolia was largely vindicated by an
extensive State Audit which found that
LAUSD’s concerns over Magnolia’s financial
viability were not substantiated by the facts.
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6. 2015 POSITIVE FISCAL REVIEWS LED TO
INCREASED ACCESS TO CAPITAL
May 2015 California State Audit confirmed that all Magnolia schools
were financially solvent
June 2015 CDE issued a Letter of Good Standing for the purpose of
PROP-1D apportionments
June 2015 Charter School Financing Authority provided a
determination of financial soundness for the purposes of
PROP-1D apportionments
June 2015 State Allocation Board unanimously voted to provide
PROP-1D apportionment of $17.4 million for Santa Ana
Facility
June 2015 S&P increased the financial outlook of MPS
Dec 2015 MPS received clean comprehensive audits with new audit
firm Vavrinek, Trine, Day & Company, LLP
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7. FACILITIES:
FINDING THEM AND KEEPING THEM HAS
BEEN A CHALLENGE
2014-15
• Magnolia Public Schools exercised
prudence in not moving forward
with an aggressive growth plan
during the previous years.
• The SCUSD refused to extend MSA’s
lease to provide additional time for
MSA-SC to secure a suitable facility,
foregoing rent payments exceding
$500,000. The school district site
currently remains vacant.
• MSA-SC was forced to relocate to the
current facility which is 13 miles
away with Latino College Prep
(National Hispanic University
Foundation).
• The site was not secured until less
than a month before the start of the
school year which effected
enrollment.
2015-16
• 100 students (mostly from SCUSD) chose to stay
with Magnolia in the new site.
• National Hispanic University Foundation has
agreed to extend the lease for up to two years.
• Magnolia has issued an LOI to secure nearby
(about 3 miles) vacant appropriately zoned land
on which to build a new school.
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8. FACILITIES:
WHEN MSA SANTA CLARA HAS A SECURE SITE,
ENROLLMENT IS STABLE AND STRONG
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2015-16 2017-21

9. FUTURE:
MSA WILL STAY IN SAN JOSE SERVING
STUDENTS WHO NEED US MOST
• Stay at our current
location at National
Hispanic University for
one to two years
• Obtain a permanent
facility that we can call
home
• Deepen our community
connection
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10. FULL FINANCIAL STRENGTH OF MPS
IS BACKING MPS SANTA CLARA
Silicon Valley parents and
students demand strong Science,
Technology, Engineering and
Math programs. Our students
begin coding in year one (6th
grade) and have access to other
compelling STEM programs not
available elsewhere.
MSA Santa Clara expenses have exceeded revenues during the fiscal year 2015-16 due to:
• Schools late start due to lack of school facilities
• Significant enrollment decrease due to the distance of the new location from the previous
location
• Overstaffing to keep strong teachers with Magnolia
MPS is providing a Board approved loan to MSA-SC out of the home office
reserve fund at 0% interest. This loan will be repaid as MSA-Santa Clara’s
enrollment strengthens.
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11. REQUEST RECAP:
MATERIAL REVISION TO PROVIDE ENROLLMENT
PRIORITY TO NEIGHBORHOOD STUDENTS
• MSA-SC is committed to serving students and families in San Jose.
• We’d like to provide enrollment priority to neighborhood students
to increase our FRL enrollment and qualify for SB740 facilities
lease support.
• MSA-SC will be staying at the current site for up to two years
while a new facility is built nearby on appropriately zoned vacant
land.
• Once the new site has been secured, at the request of the SCCOE
staff, all affected local school districts will be notified.
• Thank you for your consideration.
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12. Contact:
Caprice Young, Ed.D.
CEO & Superintendent
Magnolia Public Schools
cyoung@magnoliapublicschools.org
(408)258-1427
Michele Ryan, Pd.D.
Principal
Magnolia Science Academy, Santa Clara
mryan@magnoliapublicschools.org
(408)258-1427
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