SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – California State officials recently rules that San Pasqual Academy could remain open through June 2022. If, San Diego County and San Pasqual Academy agree to no longer refer new foster youth to the academy.
Shane Harris, the Government Affairs Director of San Pasqual Academy, and alumnus of SPA, joined KUSI’s Lauren Phinney on Good Morning San Diego to further explain what this ruling means and how it will impact the students.
Harris provided KUSI News with the following timeline of events regarding San Pasqual Academy:
In February the California Department of Social Services officials informed the county of San Diego that San Pasqual Academy needed to close no later than October 1st, 2021. County officials did not inform students who are currently foster youth on the campus as well as campus officials until February 19th after suspecting that the San Diego Union Tribune would run a story on February 21st. Campus officials did not get the preparation needed to share with the 80+ youth on the campus in time of what was going on and students as well as staff on the campus found out February 21st in the San Diego Union Tribune that they would lose their home.The state asked that SPA would close early because of a 2015 state law AB 403 better known as the Continuum of Care Reform which sought to close down “congregant” care facilities to move youth out of foster homes.