San Diego County leaders are set to vote on closing San Pasqual Academy, a residential campus for foster youth,
That's according to an item on the County Board of Supervisors meeting agenda scheduled for May 19. It would start “a planned, phased wind-down of the Academy.”
“Under this proposed approach, current seniors will be supported to complete the school year and graduate, and current juniors will be supported to graduate at the conclusion of the 2026-2027 school year,” Chief Administrative Officer Ebony Shelton wrote to the board.
The campus opened in 2001 and provides housing, a high school, mental health services and more.
Enrollment peaked at 195 students in 2009, county staff told the board in November. As of March 30, there were 42 students living at the academy, Shelton wrote. Most are in high school, with 31 attending high school on site and three attending other high schools.
Enrollment has dropped as state and federal policies have changed. Legislation has shifted foster care away from group settings. That’s meant less state and federal funding for San Pasqual Academy.
The campus nearly closed in 2021 after the state said it would no longer direct federal funding to San Pasqual. The Board of Supervisors voted to keep it open.
It has an annual budget of more than $18 million, according to the County, mostly made up of local funding.
In November, the County Board of Supervisors approved a plan to gather community input on the future of the campus. More than 270 people attended engagement sessions and 184 filled out a survey, Shelton wrote.
Two main themes emerged, she wrote: boosting enrollment and broadening the community use of the campus.
“Notably, participants in the engagement process indicated that without increases in both Academy placements and youth attending on-campus school, the Academy should close, alongside efforts to maximize the campus for expanded community benefit,” Shelton wrote.
Shelton’s letter describes a phased approach that would allow current juniors to graduate at the end of next school year. Younger students would gradually transition to other schools and homes.
“Many youth currently at the Academy are on a path towards reunification with their family,” Shelton wrote. “Consistent with the kin-first approach, placement decisions will prioritize keeping youth with family members, relatives, or trusted adults whenever possible.”
Community members also suggested broader uses for the campus, including health services, housing and workforce development. The May 19 agenda item recommends continuing that engagement process for 18 more months.
The board would get a status update on the academy’s transition within the year.
The May 19 agenda also includes a vote on providing $1.8 million for a housing project in Vista. It would create 35 units of permanent supporting housing for young adults exiting the foster care system.
