San Jose Unified School Dist. v. Rocketship Education CA6

I. BACKGROUND2

A. Factual Summary The Santa Clara County Office of Education (County Office) provides support services to Santa Clara County’s numerous school districts. The County Office also operates preschool and child development programs, provides environmental education to fifth and sixth graders, partners with districts in running their own special education programs, provides regional occupational program services, coordinates services for foster and homeless youth, monitors County-approved charter schools, and provides educational programs for children of migrant families. The County Board is the elected governing body of the County Office. Rocketship Education (Rocketship) is a network of elementary charter schools targeting low-income students and those who are below basic proficiency on state exams. The County Board has granted Rocketship a countywide charter to operate up to 25 charter schools. Rocketship proposed to locate one of its charter schools on property owned by the City of San Jose and located both in the District and in the County Office’s jurisdiction. Both the City’s General Plan and its zoning ordinance precluded the property from being used for…