Type Charter school Grades K - 8 Website willowcreekacademy.org Head of school Tara Seekins | Established 2001 Information 415-331-7530, Ext. 202 Phone +1 415-331-7530 Number of students 380 (2015–2016) | |
Address 636 Nevada St, Sausalito, CA 94965, USA District Sausalito Marin City School District | ||
Willow creek academy
Willow Creek Academy (WCA) is a K-8 public charter school located in Sausalito, California. It is part of the Sausalito Marin City School District and is located on the former campus of Bayside Elementary School next to its namesake, Willow Creek.
Contents
- Willow creek academy
- African dance fanga kakilamba 5th grade willow creek academy
- History
- Operations
- Facilities
- Academics
- Budget
- Student demographics
- Awards
- References
The school, which has students from Sausalito and nearby Marin City, was established to keep Sausalito families in the public school system. A 2008 grand jury report from Marin County stated that most graduates of WCA "succeed" in high school and that the WCA test scores are "good"; it added that there is no "notable problem" with student behavior.
In 2011 the University of Southern California's Rossier School of Education named Willow Creek Academy one of the top charter schools in California.
African dance fanga kakilamba 5th grade willow creek academy
History
Willow Creek Academy (WCA) received its charter in 2001 and opened its doors in September 2001 as a K-4 school with 37 students. By 2004-2005, they had 106 students in a K-8 school. In 2014 the school had 289 students. Their enrollment for the 2015-16 school year has grown to 380 students. Of the total enrollment, about two fifths of the students live in Marin City, two fifths live in Sausalito, and one fifth live out of district. Of the 84 out-of-district kids, the vast majority are from “revenue limit” districts.
SMCSD officials stated that year that some area wealthy families decided to go back to public school due to the existence of Willow Creek.
Operations
The school is open to any student living in the school district.
Each parent is required to contribute volunteer time, with at least 50 hours per parent per year. SMCSD superintendent Valerie Pitts stated that parents who have jobs may find difficulties fulfilling this requirement, although several weekend opportunities are available, such as campus clean-up days and creek restoration projects.
Facilities
The school had its offices in a 4,000-square-foot (370 m2) former shipyard office facility that was built in the 1940s. In September 2015 a two-alarm fire occurred, causing severe damage to the building.
Academics
Willow Creek Academy had a cumulative score of 795 on the 2013 CST test, significantly less than the 2012 score of 857, which was less than the peak score reached in 2011. WCA had steadily improved over the seven years from 2004 through 2011, with scores as follows: 674, 709, 738, 829, 826, 856, 882, and 889. Willow Creek attributed the 2012 reduction to rapid growth and has stated that the school's goal is to surpass a cumulative score of 900.
Budget
Willow Creek Academy's budget for the 2012-2013 school years is approximately $2.4M. The school's per-student spending is approximately $8275, of which approximately $6500 per student comes from the school district, a figure that has been declining for the past several years. The balance comes from grants and other private fundraising, including the non-profit Willow Creek Foundation (WCF). In 2012-2013, WCF raised $310,000.
Student demographics
As of 2016 Willow Creek enrolls about 400 students, 75% of the public school students within the Sausalito Marin City School District; 40% of Willow Creek's students were non-Hispanic white while 60% of the students were racial and ethnic minorities and/or mixed-race. About 150 students resided in Marin City; this number was higher than the enrollment of Bayside-Martin Luther King Academy, the K-8 school in Marin City, which had 143 students.
As of spring 2013, the student body was 37% Hispanic, 25% White, 18% African-American, 11% Asian, 1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and 8% who self-identify as multi-ethnic. About 65% of the students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch, and 21% of the students are English learners. Willow Creek is a Title I School without a school-wide program. The majority of the parents of WCA's students in 2013 have attended college: 39% are college graduates (of which 20% went to graduate school); an additional 53% have graduated from high school (of which 37% attended some college); 8% are not high school graduates.