The Primary School and Ravenswood City School District Announce New Lease and Partnership
Ravenswood City School District (RCSD) and The Primary School are excited to announce that they will be entering into a long-term lease agreement for Brentwood Academy.
“This partnership has created a bridge for the Ravenswood City School District and The Primary School to develop mutual respect and share innovative ideas that will empower our students and benefit our community at large.”
The RCSD Board of Trustees took action in January 2020 to close two elementary schools, Brentwood Academy and Willow Oaks. The RCSD Board of Trustees subsequently decided that the Brentwood Academy site would begin the process to be declared surplus and leased out as a new revenue stream for the district. The Board then created a 7/11 committee which represented RCSD staff and community. The committee identified various appropriate uses of the site, including educational programs and schools. Among the three proposals submitted, the proposal submitted by The Primary School was identified as the best option for the district and surrounding community.
“I am pleased that The Primary School came to the table with the willingness to develop a mutually beneficial partnership. I believe we have established a model of how the Silicon Valley can collaborate to establish public-private partnerships.”
Founded in East Palo Alto in 2016, The Primary School has been operating out of 951 O'Connor Street through a lease agreement with the school district. Long-term plans have been in development to build a new school facility at 1200 Weeks Street. The Primary School made the decision to pursue a long-term lease at the Brentwood site for two main reasons: The first was the chance to move to a larger, more contiguous, long-term home on a more predictable timeline, and the second was the opportunity to contribute to positive change for children and families across the communities of East Palo Alto and Belle Haven.
“We care about this community and the wellbeing of all children and families here. From the beginning, we’ve sought to partner with the many strong organizations and leaders who work hard to support families in East Palo Alto and Belle Haven. The Brentwood site is a unique opportunity to secure a safe and stable home for our students and families, while being a part of positive change on a broader level.”
Beyond this lease agreement, RCSD and The Primary School see the potential for additional opportunities to collaborate programmatically, given our shared interest in positive educational and healthy developmental outcomes for children and families. We will meet regularly during the coming school year to explore and identify what that collaboration will entail, whether in the areas of social-emotional learning, literacy, family supports, or mental and physical health of students and families.
We look forward to working together to support children and families across our community.