Forest Ranch charter qualifies

The residents of Nord did it in 2005, and now the people of Forest Ranch have done it: saved their elementary school after the Chico Unified School District closed it for budgetary reasons.

On Monday (June 30), just two months after learning the district planned to shut down Forest Ranch Elementary School (pictured, with students on the playground in 2002), representatives of the new Forest Ranch Charter School announced that they had met all the conditions set out by the CUSD’s Board of Trustees in order to qualify their charter school.

More than 50 students are enrolled, a three-year budget has been drawn up, the group is incorporated as a nonprofit, and lease arrangements with the CUSD have been finalized. Between now and opening day Sept. 2, board Chairwoman Kiersten Morgan said in a press release, the school plans to focus on finalizing hiring and curriculum and continuing to enroll students.