Tag: American River Collegiate Academy

By Sara Beth Williams–
Plans for construction of a 25,000-square-foot charter school building in Citrus Heights have stalled, but the goal to bring the campus to Citrus Heights still remains, says Robin Stout, Superintendent of the Rocklin Academy Family of Schools.

The initial goal was to open the new American River Collegiate Academy campus at 7951 Antelope Rd. in the fall of 2022, in time for the 2022/23 school year. However, no work has begun at the site so far.

In a phone call to The Sentinel, Stout indicated the project is a $20 million investment and said it’s “a significant cost for the Rocklin Academy to take on.” Stout cited multiple obstacles that have kept them from breaking ground at the Citrus Heights location, including the increased cost of construction materials, and a significant drop in enrollment during the pandemic.

The California Department of Education reported in a news release dated April 11, 2022, that enrollment dropped by more than 110,000 students during the 2021/22 school year.

“That was a really unsettling time for everyone,” Stout said, referring to opening a new campus during the pandemic when schools were required to utilize home-based learning. “It was unknown territory. We’re being mindful of that.”

Despite pandemic-related setbacks, Stout is hopeful for the future and says the charter school has been making good faith payments to Foundation Church, which owns the land the school plans to use for their Citrus Heights campus. The church recently rebranded from its original name, Antelope Road Christian Fellowship.

Phone calls and emails left for the pastor were not returned by press time Friday night.

Stout said the Rocklin Academy board plans to meet later this year, in December, to revisit plans and decide whether to move forward with building the Antelope Road campus.

Plans for the project were unanimously approved by the Citrus Heights Planning Commission on Sept. 22, 2021. The school site plans include a two-story building with 22 classrooms and administrative spaces, and a multi-purpose room.

Plans show pickup and drop-off access for the campus via Wonder Street, east of Antelope Road, which drew some concern during a public hearing last year. Shared parking with Foundation Church and staggering pick up and drop off times are incorporated into the plans to assist in the flow of expected increases in traffic.

From September: Plans for new charter school campus approved by Citrus Heights Planning Commission

American River Collegiate Academy is a publicly funded charter school and part of the Rocklin Academy Family of Schools, which includes Rocklin Academy, Rocklin Academy Gateway, Rocklin Academy Preschool, and Western Sierra Collegiate Academy.

The American River Collegiate Academy is currently using temporary classroom facilities a 7755 Hazel Ave., in Orangevale. The charter school serves grades TK through 3^rd grade and has openings in TK and 3^rd grade at their current campus.

By Mike Hazlip—
On Wednesday, Citrus Heights planning commissioners will hold a public hearing and review revised plans for a proposed charter school on a 3-acre site at Antelope Road and Old Auburn Road.

Public documents available online show the plan includes development of the American River Collegiate Academy, a charter school for kindergarten through sixth grade students. The school will have a 25,000-square-foot, two-story building with 22 classrooms along with administrative offices. A 5,500-square-foot multi-purpose building is also planned for the site.

The publicly funded charter school is part of the Rocklin Academy Family of Schools, which includes Rocklin Academy, Rocklin Academy Gateway, Rocklin Academy Preschool, and Western Sierra Collegiate Academy.

Traffic flow is designed to travel around the site in a circular pattern, with pick-up and drop-off at the north end of the property. Access to the school would be through an existing parking lot of Antelope Road Christian Fellowship. One building on church property would need to be demolished to provide entrance to the school.

A projected enrollment chart in the document shows the school will add a grade level each year until the 2027-28 school year when the final sixth grade class opens. Projected enrollment begins at just under 100 students for the 2021-22 school year and tops out at 558 for the 2027-28 school year.

“Although enrollment is open to all students, and a preference is given to students who reside in San Juan Unified School District,” the charter school says in documents submitted to the city. “Rocklin Academy is committed to serving families in the Citrus Heights community. All of its current outreach efforts for student recruitment for the school has been in the City of Citrus Heights, especially the 3-mile radius around the Project Site.”

The planned site includes almost 60 on-site parking spaces with an additional 48 off-site spaces to accommodate the projected total demand of over 100 spaces.

Associated landscaping and recreational improvements are also part of the new development, according to documents.

The Sentinel previously reported the school plans to open for the school year beginning in Fall 2022.

The charter school is currently using classroom facilities at the Temple Or Rishon in Orangevale near Hazel and Oak avenues, after school officials couldn’t find a suitable existing facility within Citrus Heights.

Plans for the school’s new facility in Citrus Heights were formally submitted to the city in October 2020, with modified plans resubmitted in March. Numerous modifications and clarifications have been made regarding building height, landscaping, traffic flow, and other items.