Parents of children attending Spark Charter School appear confident in the school now that it has reopened after nearly a week. Spark shut down amid questions over employee background checks.
Only four of the roughly 160 K-6 students enrolled at Spark Charter School had left and re-enrolled in the Sunnyvale School District as of press time.
The new charter school suspended classes for almost all of last week after the school could not prove that all of its employees had passed required background checks. The issue came to light after the Sept. 15 arrest of Jonathan Chow, an 18 year-old lunchtime aide employed by the school. Chow was arrested for allegedly luring an 8-year-old student to a secluded area at the school and molesting her.
Staff from the Santa Clara County Office of Education late last week validated that Spark had complied with procedures required by state law and contained in its charter concerning background checks and TB clearances for its employees. Records were also reviewed to ensure that all teachers were appropriately credentialed.
“We are glad to have this issue resolved and pleased we could provide the necessary assistance to get students back into the classroom without further delay,” said Santa Clara County Superintendent of Schools Jon Gundry. “The safety of all students is of paramount importance, and we will continue to monitor and work with Spark Charter School to ensure the legal requirements and contents of their charter petition are followed.”
County Office of Education officials visiting the school after Chow’s arrest requested the school close immediately or risk having its charter revoked. The Santa Clara County Board of Education approved Spark’s charter last year.
The school was given the go-ahead to reopen on Sept. 25. Outside the school Monday morning the drop-off area was bustling with children toting colorful backpacks and lunch boxes. “Welcome back, Sparklers,” read a message on the school’s Twitter account after Friday’s reopening. “School is back in session, and it was great to see those smiles again.”
“The school is wonderful, the school is wonderful,” said one father who was dropping off his second-grader on Sept. 28. “I’m very happy with the staffing, the teachers and the staff.”
Spark Charter School is independently operated and governed by a nonprofit board of directors. The school occupies space at Columbia Middle School in Sunnyvale.
The road to Spark’s first year of operation has been a long one. Sunnyvale School District granted the charter school conditional approval in the fall of 2014 but ended up revoking the approval in April of the same year, citing the school’s “failure to comply” with standards that the district asked them to meet. Spark appealed the decision to the Santa Clara County Office of Education, which approved the opening of the school.
Meanwhile, Chow has been charged with five felonies, including sexual penetration of a child under the age of 10, possessing more than 600 images of child pornography, inducing a minor’s involvement in child pornography and two counts of lewd or lascivious acts on a child by force, violence, duress or fear, according to a report by Bay Area News Group.
Chow, a Cupertino High School graduate, is due in court for a plea on Oct. 16.
Editor Matt Wilson contributed to this report.
