I need to clarify some details in your Feb. 18 article, “Another charter school approved in Thousand Oaks.”

Last week, in a 4-1 vote, the Ventura County Board of Education approved the Bridges Charter petition over the objection of Conejo Valley Unified School District. The four affirming county trustees articulated their reasons for support, citing the value of competition in the public school arena, the fiscal efficiencies that enable charters to channel more funds directly to classrooms and the empowerment of parents in a charter, among others.

The trustees also praised the quality of the Bridges charter document and its vision. The county board realizes that public education is changing and charter schools are an integral part of that change.

Furthermore, in response to the assertion made by retired CVUSD board members that Bridges wasn’t different enough from an existing district program, the county board responded that programs may share similarities, but by virtue of a charter’s autonomous governance structure, the delivery of a charter-run program will inherently be different than a district-run program.

Additionally, there’s nothing in California charter law requiring charter schools to be “unique.”

Thus, Dorothy Beaubien’s claim that the Bridges charter is “not legal” is simply incorrect.

I also feel it’s important to set the record straight about the quote attributed to trustee Mary Louise Peterson suggesting that she voted for Bridges “with a heavy heart.” This quote was taken out of context. She said she had hoped that the charter would have been approved at the local level (by CVUSD) and it was “with a heavy heart” that she now had to vote on it, since it had to be appealed to the county level.

These may seem like small points, but your article wasn’t balanced.

Bridges will open this fall and we are thankful for the four visionary members at the county board of education who have voted to give K-8 students in Ventura County another tuition-free, public education choice.
Jon Baker
Thousand Oaks
The writer was a Bridges pe titioner.