Oxford Preparatory Acad. v. Chino Valley Unified Sch. Dist.

*419 This appeal arising from a mandamus action in the superior court presents novel issues regarding the proper scope of judicial review of a school district's decision to deny a petition to renew a charter school. Below, the trial court concluded it had to apply an extremely deferential standard of review because it believed the governing board of the Chino Valley Unified School District (District) was performing a quasi-legislative action when it denied the renewal petition submitted by Oxford Preparatory Academy (the Academy), an existing charter school within the District. Finding that the District's decision was not arbitrary or capricious, the trial court denied the Academy's writ petition.

On appeal, the Academy contends the trial court applied the incorrect standard of review because the District's decision was quasi-judicial in nature and, therefore, the trial court should have applied a less deferential standard of review.

In this matter of first impression, we conclude that a school district's decision pursuant to Education Code sections 47605 and 47607 1 to deny a charter school's renewal petition is a quasi-judicial action subject to review via a petition for…