Fall 2022 Newsletter: Expansion to Texas, Partnerships, and New School Facilities
Creating Long-Term Homes for High-Quality Charter Schools
November 2022
In this Issue
FEATURED
Expansion to Houston, Texas
UPDATES
Nor Cal Team Hosts College Students
SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS
New Charter School Facilities Delivered
Greetings friends and colleagues,
We are thrilled to announce our expansion to Houston, Texas with Texas Charter School Development (TCSD) and founding Project Director, Ivan Zapata.
We had a whirlwind of back-to-school project deliveries in all three regions this fall and are excited for our charter school partners to have new facilities for their students.
We are continuing our work in partnering with organizations to provide internship and mentorship opportunities. This past summer, the Northern California team hosted local college students from Construction Industry Workforce Initiative. And PCSD is once again partnering with Green Dot Mentorship Program for another year of mentoring students at their schools in Los Angeles and Memphis, Tennessee.
All the best for a continued fabulous 2022-2023 school year!
Warmly,
John Sun
FEATURED: Expansion to Houston, Texas
For the first time since 2017, PCSD is expanding to a new region: Houston, Texas. The newly formed Houston-based non-profit Texas Charter School Development (TCSD) will serve as a one-stop-shop facility solution for a growing number of emerging charter schools in Houston.
Ivan Zapata has joined us as TCSD's founding Project Director. He will work closely with the PCSD team to advance our mission of creating long-term facilities solutions aimed at dismantling systemic inequality and expanding educational opportunities in under-resourced communities.
UPDATES: Northern California Team Hosts College Students
Our Northern California team had the opportunity to host a group of 15 college students interning with Construction Industry Workforce Initiative (CIWI) this past summer. They visited two Alpha Public Schools, Blanca Alvarado and Jose Hernandez Schools, co-located on an Alum Rock Union School District site in San Jose which finished up Phase II construction to add an additional 90 seats in three modular classrooms to this K-8 school.
SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS: Southern California
Equitas Academy 5/6
Long-time partner Equitas Academy opened Equitas 5/6 in the Pico-Union neighborhood adjacent to its flagship campus. This newest facility for Equitas, previously an armored transport building, not only will house two TK-5 schools with space for up to 1,000 students but also will be the new administrative location for its main offices. Congratulations to Equitas!.
Fenton Academies
Congratulations to Fenton Academies in Sun Valley on completing their new Annex building and elevator project! The site was originally developed into a facility for two Fenton elementary schools in 2015. The project provides Fenton Academies with an additional 30,000 sf of educational space to house their middle school students, and a new three-story elevator to provide ADA access to the existing parking garage.
SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS: Northern California
Caliber: Beta Academy
Congratulations to Caliber Public Schools on the opening of their permanent home for Caliber: Beta Academy, a TK-8 school. PCSD collaborated with Caliber Public Schools to modernize and adapt an existing school site in Richmond, CA, owned by West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD).
Education for Change: Latitude High 37.8
PCSD worked with long-time partner Education for Change Public Schools on the development of Latitude High School 37.8 on a former Caltrans site in the Fruitvale neighborhood of Oakland. The project included extensive environmental and system upgrades, reconfiguration of classrooms and learning spaces, and the installation of a new servery.
KIPP Northern California University Park (Phase I)
PCSD has been working with long-time partner KIPP Northern California on their expansion into Stockton. The first phase of a three-phase project at KIPP University Park was recently completed with the opening of a middle school on this unique campus. Congratulations to KIPP Northern California!
