Written by Amanda Angulo
On Tuesday, the County Board of Supervisors had unanimously approved the extension of a contract to allow the San Pasqual Academy to remain open through June 30th of 2022.
The San Pasqual Academy located in Escondido is known to be the first residential educational campus for foster kids. It was supposed to close down in October due to a decrease in enrollment, as well as state and federal law changes that will end foster care funding.
The board has also authorized the county Department of Purchasing and Contracting to negotiate for a contract extension with New Alternatives Inc. at the cost of $6.27 million.
At the May 18th meeting, board Chairman Nathan Fletcher suggested that restructures are necessary in order to keep San Pasqual open. He stated, “Our commitment to the youth in our county compels us to find creative and new ways to best meet the needs of our most vulnerable”.
As the world recovers from COVID-19, foster children have been left behind. Their schools have been facing closure, adoption rates have fallen drastically, and they are facing a rising mental health crisis. However, San Diego is helping foster children more than most of us could ever know by allowing San Pasqual Academy to remain open for the next year, giving students a chance to not only graduate but also allowing for more students to enroll which could stop the closure permanently.
