The Vallejo City Unified School District board made the unanimous decision in February to relocate Vallejo Charter School to the Mare Island Health and Fitness Academy campus for the coming school year.
The decision — essentially merging the two schools — came as a shock to both students and faculty. But this move is not their first, but the school’s fourth.
“They’ve moved before and they do have a can-do attitude about it,” said said principal Janice Lubin.
Optimistic that the blending of staff and students will bring together new opportunities for the two school families, the principal expressed confidence that the “staff is resilient.”
In this “phase one” of fiscal cuts, the board also voted to approve $7.4 million in staffing reductions and $5.4 million in non-staffing reductions, putting it at a total of $12.8 million in reductions for the 2025-2026 school year.
With uncertainty in the air, longtime teachers, administrators, and families of students at Vallejo Charter have been a figure of hope. “We have a strong commitment from everyone,” said Lubin, “to stay with our school and continue to see it grow.”
Although the move to Mare Island means a smaller space for the school, she spoke of the opportunity to grow — population-wise and educationally.
Since its opening in 2007, the the school has specialized in expeditionary learning from kindergarten to eighth grade, utilizing a curriculum that prioritizes real-world applications and problem-solving — some of which they hope to bring along in the merger.
Lubin says the close-knit community at Vallejo Charter has been generally supportive of one another during the move. Amid lingering questions from both students and families, Lubin sys her faculty is trying to “unify both families,” with ease.
“We know that the change is coming with a sense of loss and we’re just going to approach it with humility and care,” she said. As for the community at Mare Island Health and Fitness Academy, she is adamant about preserving their unique culture, too.
“Mare Island has been home to students, families, and staff who have poured their hearts into their school and their traditions, their memories, and all of their relationships,” said Lubin. “They are not going to be forgotten.”
While downsizing will likely linger in the minds of many at Vallejo Charter, she encourages a sense of optimism.
“Even though it is going to be difficult, it’s going to be OK,” says Lubin.
