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SACRAMENTO AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT AUTHORIZES FREE CHARTER SCHOOL OPERATED BY PUNJABI NON-PROFIT GROUP |
WEST SACRAMENTO - The Washington Unified School District Board of Education voted on 6/9/11 to authorize a Punjabi non-profit group, the Sacramento Valley Charter School (SVCS), to operate an elementary school in West Sacramento beginning in September 2011.
"This is a great day for the Sacramento area and the Punjabi community," said Dr. Narinder Dhaliwal, Chairman of the SVCS Board of Directors. "After over a year of planning, negotiation and lobbying, we are thankful to the School Board for granting our petition. This is a great opportunity to create an institution that will be a jewel for the entire community."
"We are all very proud to be part of the first charter school in the United States established by the Punjabi community," explained Amar Shergill, an attorney and SVCS board member. "We will now move quickly to incorporate the school, setup the campus and hire school staff. We expect to hire our principal immediately."
Harjinder Mattu, SVCS board member and a principal for the Twin Rivers Unified School District, was the primary force in establishing the curriculum standards for SVCS. He states, "Credentialed teachers will present a California standards-based education curriculum including Punjabi language studies. The school will be open to all local residents and will not discriminate on any basis. All students will receive free lunch and free transportation to and from school," said Mattu.
"SVCS is eligible to receive federal and state grants of over $500,000 plus regular per-student funding pursuant to the statutory requirements of the California Department of Education. In addition, the Sacramento Sikh Temple has graciously sponsored our efforts to date," said Iqbal Badwalz, Chartered Public Accountant and SVCS board member.
Washington Unified School District Board Members along with Sacramento Valley Charter School Group
A charter school is a tuition free, non-sectarian public school that is usually administered by an independent non-profit corporation with funding from state and federal governments. SVCS will be located at a campus to be established at 2399 Sellers Way, adjacent to the Sacramento Sikh Temple. During the first year of operation, SVCS will serve Sacramento area students in Kindergarten through Grade 6. However, Grade 7 and 8 will be added in the 2012 and 2013 school years, respectively. The Sacramento Valley Charter School's motto is 'Learn, Compete, Excel'. Class sizes are expected be 18 to 22 students.
A community advisory will be published regarding the initial enrollment period at SVCS. However, interested parents may contact Dr. Narinder Dhaliwal, 916 416 8892, [email protected] or visit the SVCS facebook page.
Media inquiries may be directed to Amar Shergill, Shergill Law Firm, 916 564 5781, [email protected].