Willow Creek Academy
| Willow Creek Academy | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| 636 Nevada St. Sausalito, CA 94965 |
|
| Information | |
| Type | Charter school |
| Established | 2001 |
| School district | Sausalito Marin City School District |
| Head of school | Tara Seekins |
| Grades | K - 8 |
| Number of students | 380 (2015-16) |
| Information | 415-331-7530, Ext. 202 |
| Website | willowcreekacademy.org |
Willow Creek Academy (WCA) is a K-8 public charter school located in Sausalito, California. It is part of the Sausalito Marin City School District and is located on the former campus of Bayside Elementary School next to its namesake, Willow Creek.
The school, which has students from Sausalito and nearby Marin City, was established to keep Sausalito families in the public school system. A 2008 grand jury report from Marin County stated that most graduates of WCA "succeed" in high school and that the WCA test scores are "good"; it added that there is no "notable problem" with student behavior.
In 2011 the University of Southern California's Rossier School of Education named Willow Creek Academy one of the top charter schools in California.
Willow Creek Academy (WCA) received its charter in 2001 and opened its doors in September 2001 as a K-4 school with 37 students. By 2004-2005, they had 106 students in a K-8 school. In 2014 the school had 289 students. Their enrollment for the 2015-16 school year has grown to 380 students. Of the total enrollment, about two fifths of the students live in Marin City, two fifths live in Sausalito, and one fifth live out of district. Of the 84 out-of-district kids, the vast majority are from “revenue limit” districts.
SMCSD officials stated that year that some area wealthy families decided to go back to public school due to the existence of Willow Creek.
The school is open to any student living in the school district.
Each parent is required to contribute volunteer time, with at least 50 hours per parent per year. SMCSD superintendent Valerie Pitts stated that parents who have jobs may find difficulties fulfilling this requirement, although several weekend opportunities are available, such as campus clean-up days and creek restoration projects.
The school had its offices in a 4,000-square-foot (370 m2) former shipyard office facility that was built in the 1940s. In September 2015 a two-alarm fire occurred, causing severe damage to the building.
Willow Creek Academy had a cumulative score of 795 on the 2013 CST test, significantly less than the 2012 score of 857, which was less than the peak score reached in 2011. WCA had steadily improved over the seven years from 2004 through 2011, with scores as follows: 674, 709, 738, 829, 826, 856, 882, and 889. Willow Creek attributed the 2012 reduction to rapid growth and has stated that the school's goal is to surpass a cumulative score of 900.
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