Divided WCCUSD board renews Summit Tamalpais charter with new reporting requirements

A West Contra Costa school board trustee warned Summit Tamalpais leaders last week that he would push to close the charter school if its academic performance does not improve, then voted to renew it for another five years.

"I am here for another four years. I will close you in the next few if I need to," Trustee Demetrio Gonzalez Hoy told school representatives during the hearing. "I'm one out of five, but I would make that recommendation if I don't see that increase."

The board voted 3-2 to renew Summit's charter from July 1, 2027, through June 30, 2032. Gonzalez Hoy joined board President Guadalupe Enllana and Trustee Leslie Reckler in voting yes. Trustees Jamela Smith-Folds and Cinthia Hernandez voted no.

Summit serves 619 students in grades seven through 12. Under state law, a charter school in the middle performance tier is presumed to be renewed for five years. The board can deny renewal only if it finds the school failed to make sufficient progress and that closing it is in students' best interest.

On the 2025 California School Dashboard, Summit students scored 56.9 points below grade-level in English language arts and 121.8 points below standard in math. Its English score fell 19.6 points from the previous year.

The state average was 8.1 points below standard in English and 42.4 points below standard in math. Districtwide, students scored 52.4 points below standard in English and 77.9 points below standard in math.

Summit's English score was lower than those of five of the district's six comprehensive high schools, with only Kennedy scoring lower. In math, Hercules, El Cerrito and Pinole Valley scored higher than Summit, while Richmond, De Anza and Kennedy scored lower.

Middle College High, which admits students by application, was the only district high school to score above grade-level standard in math.

Summit's test results include seventh and eighth-grade students, while high school results were taken from 11th graders.

Summit's college and career readiness rate was 89.3 percent, compared with 41 percent districtwide and 51.7 percent statewide. The indicator measures graduates' completion of college-preparatory coursework, college-level classes, or career training. According to the district staff report, it was the only indicator that kept Summit out of the state's low-performing tier in 2025.

The meeting ended before trustees reached board comments because no one moved to extend it. Afterward, Smith-Folds recorded remarks from the dais and posted them to Facebook.

"This is the second time I had to vote on this particular charter school, and my vote was very much the same as it was five years ago," Smith-Folds said. "I cannot vote for a charter school that is not outpacing and outperforming the public school."

She said the district should find out why families choose Summit.

"I believe that one of the ways that we can tackle low enrollment and declining enrollment is to entice those students back to the district because again, the charter school is not outpacing the district," she said.

She also said, "It always causes me pause when you can choose your students." California charter schools must hold a public lottery when they have more applicants than seats.

The board also questioned Summit's decision not to provide preliminary results from the 2026 state tests. The school cited the state's embargo on the results and said they were intended for internal planning. Summit senior director of learning Tiffany Reynolds said the results "remained relatively stable" and the school expected to remain in the state's middle-performing tier.

Reckler also objected to Summit's comparisons with Kennedy High School, saying the schools serve students with different needs.

"These schools serve very different students with much more intense needs, and these comparisons unfairly cast a negative light on those schools, and I do not like that," Reckler said.

Reynolds said Summit chose the schools based on where its students live.

"The comparisons we made for our schools were based on the schools our students would have already attended, based on their home geographic location, not the location of our school," Reynolds said.

Summit staff said 90 percent of surveyed students reported that adults at school cared about them, 85 percent felt a sense of belonging, and 80 percent of graduates who enrolled in college returned for a second year.

Summit Public Schools CEO Cady Ching acknowledged the academic concerns and described planned changes, including new English and math curricula, tutoring, and internal assessments three times a year. The school set a goal of moving 3 points closer to standard each year.

Reckler's motion required Summit to submit annual progress reports. The reports must cover English and math results, chronic absenteeism, teacher credentials, special education, English learner outcomes, and compliance with district requests.

If Summit falls short, district staff must bring the board a notice of concern and an improvement plan with measurable benchmarks. Consultant Linda Delgado said the process could eventually lead to a notice of intent to revoke the charter.