California approves MPUSD dependent charter Dual Language Academy

California education officials approved the Dual Language Academy of the Monterey Peninsula Charter School, MPUSD administrators announced Wednesday.

The charter proposal had major support from parents, backing from administrators, so it was bound to get support from the state.

As a dependent charter, the student population of the school will still count towards the total count for the district, and its finances and most of its operations will also be overseen by the district. The principal will be Tom Vanheukelem, now principal of Marshall West. The Dual Language Academy has been operating as a school program for seven years at Marshall West in Seaside. Administrators want to recruit a student population that's 50 percent native Spanish speaking, 50 percent native English speaker so the program can work. Students in the program spend half of each day studying in English and half of each day studying in Spanish, resulting in students who are fully bilingual and biliterate.

Interested parents should plan to attend Dual Language Academy recruitment meetings at the Cabrillo Family Center on February 24, at Marshall West Elementary on February 26, and at Marina Vista Elementary on February 28. All community meetings will start at 6:00pm. For more information please contact the school at (831) 899-1100.