Board conditionally renews Norton Science & Language Academy charter after lengthy public hearing

The San Bernardino County Board of Education on Wednesday approved Norton Science & Language Academy’s countywide charter renewal for a two‑year term, adopting the staff report and attaching a set of required changes and monitoring steps.

Board members spent more than an hour questioning school leaders and staff about academic outcomes, dual‑immersion instruction and intensive interventions before taking the vote. The county’s petition review team found the renewal petition broadly sufficient but asked Norton to add detail in several areas including its academic improvement plan (AIP), governance information and admissions language.

Norton representatives described a program overhaul focused on biliteracy and reading interventions. "We believe wholeheartedly that Norton serves in the best interest of our students for the next 2 years and beyond," a petitioner said, outlining work with national dual‑language researchers and the use of Orton‑Gillingham interventions at tier 2 and tier 3.

Parents, teachers and a financial adviser testified in support. A kindergarten teacher said Norton “gives students a sense of purpose and belonging,” and a financial advisor told the board Norton’s debt service coverage and cash‑on‑hand metrics exceeded typical industry thresholds.

Members of the board who supported conditional approval cited the petition’s improvements, the school’s financial stability and the school's regional performance relative to nearby schools. Other board members pressed for firmer, measurable AIP targets and insisted the school submit the requested revisions within the deadline specified by the staff report.

The approval came with conditions spelled out in the staff report, including a clarified MOU, additional AIP detail showing measurable goals and timelines, explicit descriptions of the dual‑immersion program changes with research support, and updated governance documentation. Staff said the revised materials must be submitted for county review within the 30–45 day window required by policy and statute; the county will verify the revisions satisfy the conditions.

Next steps: Norton will submit the revised petition/AIP for SBCSS review and the county will report back to the board if additional clarification or time is required. If the county determines the materials are not satisfactory the board may revisit the decision.