Sentinel staff report–
Applications are now being accepted for residents interested in serving on a new committee tasked with evaluating the potential establishment of a local school district.
The Citrus Heights Education Committee (CHEC) will consist of seven members: one appointed by each councilmember, along with two at-large members. Residency within each council member’s district is not required.
The committee’s key responsibilities will include analyzing Citrus Heights schools, considering test scores, attendance records, extracurricular activities, and school capacity versus actual enrollment. The committee will also research the process of creating a school district, present examples of similar initiatives, assess the city’s capability to form a district, and evaluate the necessary budgetary resources.
According to a timeline posted on the city’s website, the committee aims to conduct its work primarily between July and October 2023, with “some or all of the meetings” to be held on weeknights.
Interested individuals must submit their completed applications by 5 p.m. on June 9. Applications are posted on the city’s website.
Formal appointments to the CHEC will be made during the City Council meeting on June 22, 2023.
The application period began Friday, following a 3-2 vote by the City Council on May 25, where a work plan for the committee was approved. Council members have been split on whether the city should focus on working with the San Juan Unified School District to improve local schools, or whether to pursue consideration of forming a new school district.
