San Fernando Middle School (SFMS) and the San Fernando Institute of Applied Media (SFIAM) could soon merge to bridge the two schools under a different name.
SFMS Principal Pearl Arredondo announced this in a newsletter on the school’s website under the headline, “Shaping Our New School Identity Together.”
“Now that staff have voted to consolidate SFIAM and SFMS under the affiliated charter school model for next year, it is time to work out some important details,” stated Arredondo. She did not say when the voting took place or who qualified to vote.
An affiliated charter school is a public school that has greater autonomy than traditional public schools, while still under the authority of the Los Angeles Unified School District, according to the LAUSD website. These schools can be flexible in terms of curriculum and governance, while still adhering to district policies and laws, the website says. It also states that there are two types of affiliated charter schools: “affiliated conversion charter schools” for existing schools and “start-up affiliated charter schools” for new schools altogether.
Under this policy, the consolidation of SFMS and SFIAM qualifies for a conversion charter school.
SFIAM is a public middle school within SFMS that operates as a certified science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) school, focusing on project-based learning in media and technology, according to the district’s website.
Three Names are Possible
Three names are being considered for the consolidated school: San Fernando Charter Academy, San Fernando Valley Charter and San Fernando Legacy Charter, according to Arredondo’s newsletter.
A meeting to present the new name, mascot, colors and logo options was initially scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 18, at 5:30 p.m. at the campus located at 130 N. Brand Blvd., in the City of San Fernando, but this meeting was canceled. Voting on the matter was also expected to begin the same day, with students, staff and families submitting paper ballots.
The school and the LAUSD did not provide a reason for the cancellation. School staff at SFMS said that the meeting would be rescheduled for January.
The deadline to vote on the new name, mascot, colors and logo was expected to be Friday, Nov. 21, at noon, with the results and final decision to be announced at 4 p.m. the same day. However, this announcement was apparently canceled as well.
The San Fernando Valley Sun/el Sol reached out to Arredondo and Tim Smither, principal of SFIAM, for comments, but neither responded by press time.
LAUSD spokesperson Thomas Cohen said in an email that he was unaware of the school’s renaming. “This is the first I’m hearing about this,” he stated.
In the newsletter, Arredondo noted, “Region North will submit the required School Board request for restructuring and rebranding funds. With our letter of intent and charter plan due in December, timelines remain tight.” It is unclear what will happen if the schools do not meet that deadline.
SFMS and SFIAM are both part of the LAUSD Region North, one of four operational regions within the district. This region serves over 130,000 students across 252 schools located in the northern San Fernando Valley. SFMS has a total of 534 students in grades 6-8, while SFiAM has 361 students.
Next they will want to demolish the iconic auditorium.
I feel that community and alumni should have an opportunity to share in this process.
As class president 1979, I am not okay with school becoming a chartered entity. Why what it hold its own with a chartering?
The parent’s and community should be given the pros and cons of this potential conversion.