[ { "slug": "ilead-exploration", "name": "iLEAD Exploration", "type": "Independent study / home study charter", "oneLiner": "iLEAD Schools, Independent study / home study charter", "locationTokens": [ "carson", "del-aire", "el-segundo", "gardena", "harbor-city", "hawthorne", "hermosa-beach", "inglewood", "lawndale", "lennox", "lomita", "manhattan-beach", "palos-verdes-estates", "rancho-palos-verdes", "redondo-beach", "rolling-hills", "rolling-hills-estates", "san-pedro", "torrance", "wilmington" ], "keyFacts": { "ages": "TK-12", "location": "Authorized by Acton-Agua Dulce Unified School District (Los Angeles County) per the school's own site", "cost": "Reported elsewhere (secondary, not opened on iLEAD's own site) as TK/K $2,600, grades 1-8 $3,100, high school $3,500", "costAsOf": "cited by secondary source as of 2025-05-02", "enrollWindow": "unconfirmed", "secularOrFaith": "secular" }, "whatStandsOut": [ { "text": "Authorizer: Program describes itself as 'chartered by the Acton/Agua Dulce School District.' Not yet cross-checked against a CDE School Directory CDS-code page for this specific entity (iLEAD Lancaster Charter, a related but separate iLEAD entity, was confirmed via CDE as authorized by Lancaster Elementary SD, LA County)." }, { "text": "Funding: iLEAD's own site (ileadexploration.org) confirms instructional funds exist ('allocated to learners for curriculum and instructional choices') but does not itself state a dollar figure on the pages checked. Do not treat the dollar amount as verified: it comes from a third-party blog, which the brief flags as unreliable for funding figures. Needs a primary-source page or FAQ PDF to verify." }, { "text": "Curriculum: General CA charter law point (publicly funded curriculum/services must be nonsectarian) confirmed via a different charter's FAQ; applies to all charters as a matter of law, but not independently confirmed on iLEAD's own site language." }, { "text": "Enrollment: FAQ/resources page loaded blank on fetch; needs re-check directly on ileadexploration.org or via phone-free enrollment portal page." } ], "questionsToAsk": [], "contact": { "website": "https://ileadexploration.org/", "phone": "(657) 231-8220", "email": null }, "sources": [ { "label": "https://ileadexploration.org/about/our-program/", "url": "https://ileadexploration.org/about/our-program/" }, { "label": "https://www.cde.ca.gov/schooldirectory/details?cdscode=19646670125559", "url": "https://www.cde.ca.gov/schooldirectory/details?cdscode=19646670125559" } ], "status": "unconfirmed", "lastVerified": "2026-09-17" }, { "slug": "compass-charter-schools", "name": "Compass Charter Schools", "type": "Independent study / home study charter", "oneLiner": "Compass Charter Schools, Independent study / home study charter", "locationTokens": [ "carson", "del-aire", "el-segundo", "gardena", "harbor-city", "hawthorne", "hermosa-beach", "inglewood", "lawndale", "lennox", "lomita", "manhattan-beach", "palos-verdes-estates", "rancho-palos-verdes", "redondo-beach", "rolling-hills", "rolling-hills-estates", "san-pedro", "torrance", "wilmington" ], "keyFacts": { "ages": "TK/K-12 (exact span not confirmed per grade band)", "location": "Authorized by Acton-Agua Dulce Unified School District (Los Angeles County) per the school's own site", "cost": "unconfirmed; Compass's own enrollment FAQ confirms instructional funds exist ('Half of the funds may be used during the first semester...') but does not state a dollar figure on the pages checked", "costAsOf": "2026-09-17", "enrollWindow": "2026-2027 lottery applications were due 2026-02-26 at 4pm; waiting list applications currently being accepted", "secularOrFaith": "secular" }, "whatStandsOut": [ { "text": "Authorizer: Compass Charter Schools operates multiple charters with different authorizers (Acton-Agua Dulce USD/LA County for the LA charter; Mountain Empire USD/San Diego County; Winters Joint USD/Yolo County). Only the Acton-Agua Dulce (LA County) charter qualifies under PM decision #2; the San Diego and Yolo charters do not." }, { "text": "Enrollment: Needs direct page open to upgrade to verified." } ], "questionsToAsk": [], "contact": { "website": "https://www.compasscharters.org/", "phone": "+1 855-937-4227", "email": "enrollment@compasscharters.org" }, "sources": [ { "label": "https://www.compasscharters.org/accreditation-and-authorizers", "url": "https://www.compasscharters.org/accreditation-and-authorizers" }, { "label": "https://www.compasscharters.org/faq", "url": "https://www.compasscharters.org/faq" }, { "label": "https://www.compasscharters.org/enrollment/faq/", "url": "https://www.compasscharters.org/enrollment/faq/" } ], "status": "unconfirmed", "lastVerified": "2026-09-17" }, { "slug": "golden-valley-charter-ventura", "name": "Golden Valley Charter School", "type": "Independent study / home study charter", "oneLiner": "Independent study / home study charter", "locationTokens": [ "carson", "del-aire", "el-segundo", "gardena", "harbor-city", "hawthorne", "hermosa-beach", "inglewood", "lawndale", "lennox", "lomita", "manhattan-beach", "palos-verdes-estates", "rancho-palos-verdes", "redondo-beach", "rolling-hills", "rolling-hills-estates", "san-pedro", "torrance", "wilmington" ], "keyFacts": { "ages": "TK-12", "location": "Ventura, CA (3585 Maple St., Ste. 101, Ventura, CA 93003)", "cost": "unconfirmed on this school's own site; a search-engine summary (not independently opened) reported TK-5: $3,200, 6-8: ~$3,400, 9-12: $4,000, but could not confirm this figure belongs to the Ventura Golden Valley Charter rather than the Folsom/Sacramento charter of the same name", "enrollWindow": "unconfirmed for this school (the fetched Enrollment page turned out to belong to the Folsom/Sacramento Golden Valley Charter, with January-February open enrollment, PIMs, and late-March lottery notification for that district, NOT this Ventura school)" }, "whatStandsOut": [ { "text": "Authorizer: Confirmed this is the Ventura-based Golden Valley Charter (address 3585 Maple St., Ste. 101, Ventura CA; phone 805-642-3435) and NOT the similarly-named Golden Valley Charter School of Sacramento/Folsom, a different, unrelated site-based K-8 charter network in the Sacramento area. Phone number on goldenvcs.org matches the CDE record, confirming identity." }, { "text": "Distance to South Bay: approx. 55-65 miles from South Bay Cities COG area (not measured via mapping tool; rough estimate only)" }, { "text": "Funding: Do not treat this dollar figure as reliable: risk of conflation between the two same-named charters. Needs direct verification on goldenvcs.org's own funds/enrollment pages." }, { "text": "Curriculum: Not stated in the goldenvcs.org pages fetched; inferred from general CA charter law, not from this school's own materials." }, { "text": "Enrollment: goldenvcs.org's own enrollment page not yet fetched directly; only the homepage was retrieved, which mentioned 'The final Orientation for the 26-27 School Year was June 11, 2026.'" }, { "text": "Counties served, conflicting sources: goldenvcs.org homepage text (fetched 2026-09-17) says 'serves TK-12 students in Ventura and Los Angeles counties.' A separate secondary source (homeschooling.gomilpitas.com aggregator, not opened directly) claims Ventura, Kern, LA, and Santa Barbara counties. Recording both; not resolved." } ], "questionsToAsk": [], "contact": { "website": "https://goldenvcs.org/", "phone": "805-642-3435", "email": "contactus@goldenvcs.org" }, "sources": [ { "label": "https://www.cde.ca.gov/schooldirectory/details?cdscode=56724705630363", "url": "https://www.cde.ca.gov/schooldirectory/details?cdscode=56724705630363" }, { "label": "https://goldenvcs.org/", "url": "https://goldenvcs.org/" } ], "status": "unconfirmed", "lastVerified": "2026-09-17" }, { "slug": "sage-oak-charter-schools", "name": "Sage Oak Charter Schools", "type": "Independent study / home study charter (primarily virtual)", "oneLiner": "Sage Oak, Independent study / home study charter (primarily virtual)", "locationTokens": [ "carson", "del-aire", "el-segundo", "gardena", "harbor-city", "hawthorne", "hermosa-beach", "inglewood", "lawndale", "lennox", "lomita", "manhattan-beach", "palos-verdes-estates", "rancho-palos-verdes", "redondo-beach", "rolling-hills", "rolling-hills-estates", "san-pedro", "torrance", "wilmington" ], "keyFacts": { "ages": "TK-12", "location": "unconfirmed; administrative office is Redlands, CA (1473 Ford St., Ste. 105); not confirmed whether this is a public-facing learning site or admin-only, or whether closer resource centers exist", "cost": "unconfirmed current amount. A 2021-era source states TK-K instructional funds were reduced from $2,700 to $2,200 starting 2021-22; current 2026-27 figures not found on Sage Oak's own site in pages checked.", "costAsOf": "2021-22 school year (stale)", "enrollWindow": "unconfirmed" }, "whatStandsOut": [ { "text": "Authorizer: Sage Oak operates under more than one CDS code/entity (e.g. 'Sage Oak Charter School - South', 'Sage Oak Charter School - Keppel'); this record covers the main 'Sage Oak Charter' CDS code 36677360136069. Not yet confirmed whether the other Sage Oak entities share the same authorizer/county." }, { "text": "Funding: Needs a direct fetch of a current Sage Oak budget or FAQ page to get an as-of-2026 figure." } ], "questionsToAsk": [], "contact": { "website": "https://www.sageoak.education/", "phone": "(888) 435-4445", "email": "Registrar@sageoak.education" }, "sources": [ { "label": "https://www.cde.ca.gov/schooldirectory/details?cdscode=36677360136069", "url": "https://www.cde.ca.gov/schooldirectory/details?cdscode=36677360136069" }, { "label": "https://www.sageoak.education/", "url": "https://www.sageoak.education/" }, { "label": "https://www.sageoak.education/faqs/", "url": "https://www.sageoak.education/faqs/" } ], "status": "unconfirmed", "lastVerified": "2026-09-17" }, { "slug": "method-schools-la", "name": "Method Schools (Los Angeles / Method LA)", "type": "Independent study charter", "oneLiner": "Method Schools, Independent study charter", "locationTokens": [ "carson", "del-aire", "el-segundo", "gardena", "harbor-city", "hawthorne", "hermosa-beach", "inglewood", "lawndale", "lennox", "lomita", "manhattan-beach", "palos-verdes-estates", "rancho-palos-verdes", "redondo-beach", "rolling-hills", "rolling-hills-estates", "san-pedro", "torrance", "wilmington" ], "keyFacts": { "ages": "TK-12", "location": "unconfirmed; Method markets itself as fully online/independent study, and it is unclear if it has any physical LA-area site", "cost": "$1,500 per student per year, flat across TK-5, 6-8, and 9-12, prorated by enrollment date", "costAsOf": "2026-09-17", "enrollWindow": "Year-round, continuous enrollment; 2026-27 school year begins 2026-07-01 per secondary summary of methodschools.org/enroll-now-0" }, "whatStandsOut": [ { "text": "Authorizer: Method Schools network has at least two CA charter entities: Method LA (authorized by Acton-Agua Dulce USD, LA County) and a separate Method Schools charter authorized by Dehesa Elementary SD (San Diego County, does not qualify under PM decision #2). Need to open methodschools.org/authorizers directly and a CDE CDS-code page to upgrade this to verified." }, { "text": "Funding: Page did not state an effective/as-of date for this figure beyond the date it was fetched; treat as current as of 2026-09-17 but re-check before publishing if this page is time-sensitive." }, { "text": "Curriculum: Method uses its own in-house curriculum ('SmartFox') per secondary search summary; not independently confirmed on a primary page, and secular-status not explicitly stated in pages checked." } ], "questionsToAsk": [], "contact": { "website": "https://methodschools.org/charter-schools-los-angeles", "phone": "866-METHOD-8 (1-866-638-3638)", "email": "info@methodschools.org" }, "sources": [ { "label": "https://methodschools.org/instructional-funds", "url": "https://methodschools.org/instructional-funds" }, { "label": "https://methodschools.org/charter-schools-los-angeles", "url": "https://methodschools.org/charter-schools-los-angeles" } ], "status": "unconfirmed", "lastVerified": "2026-09-17" }, { "slug": "excel-academy-charter-helendale", "name": "Excel Academy Charter (Helendale-authorized entity)", "type": "Independent study / virtual charter", "oneLiner": "Excel Academy, Independent study / virtual charter", "locationTokens": [ "carson", "del-aire", "el-segundo", "gardena", "harbor-city", "hawthorne", "hermosa-beach", "inglewood", "lawndale", "lennox", "lomita", "manhattan-beach", "palos-verdes-estates", "rancho-palos-verdes", "redondo-beach", "rolling-hills", "rolling-hills-estates", "san-pedro", "torrance", "wilmington" ], "keyFacts": { "ages": "K-12", "location": "unconfirmed; admissions/main office address found is 1 Technology Dr., Bldg. I, Ste. 811, Irvine, CA (per CDE record), which is roughly 30-40 miles from South Bay; unclear if this is a public-facing site or admin-only, and unclear if it's tied to this CDS code or the Warner-authorized one", "cost": "unconfirmed; excelacademy.education/enroll/ confirms 'Instructional Funds: Yes' but states no dollar figure on the page fetched", "costAsOf": "2026-09-17", "enrollWindow": "As of 2026-09-17, Excel Academy's enroll page states: 'Excel Academy has reached waitlist status across all counties. Families can fill out a form below to join our interest list.'" }, "whatStandsOut": [ { "text": "Authorizer: Excel Academy operates at least two separate charter entities with different authorizers: this one (Helendale Elementary SD, San Bernardino County; qualifies under PM decision #2) and a second CDS code (37754160139386) authorized by Warner Unified School District, San Diego County (does not qualify). A search-engine summary claimed the Helendale entity covers 'Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties', which is not independently confirmed on Excel's own site." } ], "questionsToAsk": [], "contact": { "website": "https://excelacademy.education/", "phone": "(949) 387-7822 (main); (949) 387-9676 (admissions)", "email": "admissions@excelacademy.education" }, "sources": [ { "label": "https://www.cde.ca.gov/SchoolDirectory/details?cdscode=36677360139576", "url": "https://www.cde.ca.gov/SchoolDirectory/details?cdscode=36677360139576" }, { "label": "https://excelacademy.education/enroll/", "url": "https://excelacademy.education/enroll/" } ], "status": "unconfirmed", "lastVerified": "2026-09-17" }, { "slug": "blue-ridge-academy", "name": "Blue Ridge Academy", "type": "Independent study / home study charter", "oneLiner": "Independent study / home study charter", "locationTokens": [ "carson", "del-aire", "el-segundo", "gardena", "harbor-city", "hawthorne", "hermosa-beach", "inglewood", "lawndale", "lennox", "lomita", "manhattan-beach", "palos-verdes-estates", "rancho-palos-verdes", "redondo-beach", "rolling-hills", "rolling-hills-estates", "san-pedro", "torrance", "wilmington" ], "keyFacts": { "ages": "K-12 (site references TK-12 on its own site; CDE lists K-12)", "location": "955 Stanislaus St., Maricopa, CA 93252 (only address found)", "cost": "unconfirmed; not found on theblueridgeacademy.com pages checked", "enrollWindow": "unconfirmed" }, "whatStandsOut": [ { "text": "Multiple independent secondary sources (GreatSchools listing titled 'Inspire Charter School - Kern' at the same Maricopa, CA address; EdData school-history page; CauseIQ nonprofit listing 'Inspire Charter School - Kern | Duarte, CA') indicate Blue Ridge Academy is a rename/successor of the former 'Inspire Charter School - Kern' campus, which was part of the Inspire Charter Schools network. One other secondary source (PublicSchoolReview) instead lists 'Inspire Charter - Kern' as 'Closed 2023' rather than describing a rename; sources conflict on whether this was a continuous rebrand or a closure-and-reopening. Not independently confirmed via a primary document (e.g., a board minute or CDE charter-amendment record) on the pages checked.", "urls": [ "https://www.greatschools.org/california/maricopa/32478-Inspire-Charter-School---Kern/", "https://www.ed-data.org/school/Kern/Maricopa-Unified/Blue-Ridge-Academy", "https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/inspire-charter-school-kern,821850228/", "https://www.publicschoolreview.com/inspire-charter-kern-profile" ], "flag": true }, { "text": "The broader Inspire Charter Schools network (which Inspire Charter School - Kern was part of) was the subject of a multi-year FCMAT (Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team) investigation, requested in 2019 by seven county superintendents (including Kern and Los Angeles), over inability to account for large sums of state funding. FCMAT's final report (submitted 2023-11-20) found recordkeeping so poor that auditors could not conclusively determine whether fraud occurred, though the deficiencies increased its likelihood. Network CEO Herbert 'Nick' Nichols resigned and was required to repay $1,055,834 in payroll advances. This is a network-level historical finding, not a finding specific to the Blue Ridge Academy entity as it operates today, and its direct relevance depends on confirming the rebrand/successor claim above.", "urls": [ "https://www.fcmat.org/PublicationsReports/inspire-charter-schools-final-report.pdf", "https://tultican.com/2024/06/28/inspire-charter-school-legacy/" ], "flag": true }, { "text": "Distance to South Bay: approx. 100+ miles from South Bay (not measured via mapping tool; rough estimate only)" } ], "questionsToAsk": [], "contact": { "website": "https://www.theblueridgeacademy.com/", "phone": "(661) 412-9363", "email": null }, "sources": [ { "label": "https://www.cde.ca.gov/schooldirectory/details?cdscode=15636280134312", "url": "https://www.cde.ca.gov/schooldirectory/details?cdscode=15636280134312" }, { "label": "https://www.theblueridgeacademy.com/", "url": "https://www.theblueridgeacademy.com/" }, { "label": "https://www.theblueridgeacademy.com/about", "url": "https://www.theblueridgeacademy.com/about" } ], "status": "unconfirmed", "lastVerified": "2026-09-17" } ]