Bullis Charter School
Bullis Charter School is a public charter school in Los Altos, California, USA, for grades kindergarten through eighth. As the Santa Clara County Office of Education charters the school, BCS operates independently of the Los Altos School District. The school is funded in approximately equal parts from state funding and parent donations.
History
BCS was founded by local residents as a reaction to the decision of 10 February 2003 by the Los Altos School District Board to close Bullis Elementary School in Los Altos Hills.The Los Altos School District conducted a parcel tax campaign in 2002, known as Measure A, stating that the funds were needed to maintain the existing schools and their quality. The measure did not explicitly mention the possibility of a school closure upon its passing. After Measure A passed with a 70% vote, the LASD Board of Trustees initiated a process to select a school for closure.
This decision led to varied reactions among residents of the Los Altos Hills and University Avenue area in Los Altos. Some community members felt that the decision contradicted their expectations based on the campaign for Measure A. In response to the closure, a citizen's committee was formed to determine which school would be closed. They ultimately selected the Los Altos Hills school, considering its size and other factors.
The community's reactions were diverse: one group of parents accepted the closure and moved on, while another group collaborated with the District for several years to reopen the closed school, achieving this goal five years later. Additionally, a third group established Bullis Charter School.
After the local school district twice rejected the school's original charter application, the school is now chartered by the County of Santa Clara.
The school is now in two locations shared with Egan Junior High School and Blach Intermediate School.
While many parents are interested in the "alternate" approach of the school, many have raised questions about the need for this in a district which is already considered high performing.
Timeline
On September 3, 2003, the Santa Clara Office of Education approved the school charter and became the sponsoring agency of BCS.On March 15, 2004, the LASD offered the portable classrooms at Egan Junior High School to BCS beginning on May 1, 2004. BCS accepted and has been there ever since.
On February 21, 2007, the Santa Clara County Board of Education approved the renewal of the BCS charter for five more years in a 6-0 vote.
On April 9, 2008, BCS was given a California Distinguished School Award.
In 2008, BCS was granted WASC Accreditation.
In November 2008, the Santa Clara County Board of Education ruled that BCS can add a 7th and 8th grade.
In August 2010, BCS opened its doors to their first ever 7th grade class.
Academic Performance & Recognition
Since its inception, BCS has consistently been among the highest-scoring charter schools in the state of California. By the end of 2006, BCS was also ranked among the top 1 percent of all schools in the state. BCS' Academic Performance Index scores remained consistently near the top of the 1,000 point range. Although this is outstanding performance, this above average performance was also consistent with the surrounding public schools in Los Altos. The chart at right provides a comparison of Base API scores between BCS and the average of all schools within LASD.** Scores for the 2012-2013 school year represent the calculated Growth API due to the California Department of Education discontinuing the use of the API accountability system. API reports in subsequent years were not produced.
BCS has twice been named a California Distinguished School by the California Department of Education. Once in 2008 and again in 2014, this time for its signature STEAM program and personalized learning in the form of Focused Learning Goals for every student. BCS was also one of only fourteen schools in the state to be recognized for having an Exemplary Visual and Performing Arts program. Also in 2014, BCS was named a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. Following the statewide transition to new assessment and accountability systems, BCS was again recognized by the California Department of Education in 2016 as a California Gold Ribbon School.