© 2024 KALW 91.7 FM Bay Area
KALW Public Media / 91.7 FM Bay Area
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Hayward Charter School Wins Lawsuit Against District Over Classroom Space

Flickr, woodleywonderworks, https://www.flickr.com/photos/wwworks/2458666314/
School Classroom

A charter school won its lawsuit against the Hayward Unified School District over classroom space amid the pandemic.

Knowledge Enlightens You (KEY) Academy Elementary School in Hayward filed a lawsuit in May after the district announced plans to take away some of their allotted classroom space. 

As a charter school, The Academy operates independently, but gets state and district funding depending on enrollment.

 

The district justified cutting five classrooms based on a projected drop of more than 30% in KEY Academy’s student population. The Academy fought back, citing a waiting list with over 100 students and showing how the cuts would adversely affect students - especially those with special needs. 

 

On Tuesday, a Hayward Superior Court judge ruled in favor of The Charter, stating that the district must provide a reasonably equivalent space as compared to similar schools in the district.

 

The charter school will be holding classes remotely for now, but they want to ensure that they’ll have enough space if in-person teaching resumes and there’s still a need for social distancing. 

Originally from the East Bay, Vivian began working in radio at KZSC in Santa Cruz. After KZSC she hosted a show at New York radio station Radio Free Brooklyn, covering artists and art local to NYC. As a KALW intern, she works on news and stories local the Bay Area. Outside of the radio station, she loves to visit galleries and museums and go on hikes.