WATSONVILLE >> Due to a variety of factors affecting its performance rate, a decision to close Pacific Coast Charter School will go before the Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees Wednesday.

Pacific Coast Charter School is a homeschool public-dependent charter school that serves students in transitional kindergarten through 12th grade. The school opened in 1999 and currently operates on a campus located on the site of the District Office.

However, Heather Gorman — the district’s interim executive director of student support services — wrote in a presentation included in the agenda for Wednesday’s meeting that Pacific Coast Charter School has experienced declining enrollment and changes in the population and home learning environment that have made it difficult for the school to continue.

“The COVID-19 pandemic changed the skill and knowledge levels of students, as well as creating other needs to address the entire students’ needs,” she wrote. “PCCS has not been able to implement best practices of non-classroom based programs due to resource demands.”Gorman also cited Assembly Bill 1505, authored by former Assemblyman Patrick O’Donnell, D-Long Beach, which governs the renewal of charter schools. Under this legislation’s performance ranking system, Pacific Coast was found to have a low ranking, the only charter school in the county to receive such a designation.

Gorman praised Pacific Coast’s staff for their commitment and devotion to students but emphasized that a number of factors contributed to consider closing the school. These included declining graduation rates, increased chronic absenteeism, declining California Dashboard performance indicators over the past two years, the school not creating a Local Control Accountability Plan which is required by the California Education Code and not meeting the 95% assessment participation rate.

“Due to declining enrollment and chronic absenteeism, the budget does not meet the requirements under AB 1505 and is not sustainable,” Gorman wrote.

Following guidelines under AB 1505 and the California Department of Education, Pacific Coast would cease operations by June 30 unless the board votes against the closure. Gorman wrote that initial meetings with staff and stakeholders have acknowledged the readiness for closure, and a task force will be formed consisting of educational stakeholder partners. Students and staff would be guaranteed placement in the district to continue to learn and teach in non-classroom environments.

In other business, the board will consider a memorandum of understanding with the Pajaro Valley Federation of Teachers over summer school pay rates and a sunshine proposal from the California School Employees Association’s Pajaro chapter.

The board will meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the City Council Chambers on the top floor of the Watsonville Civic Plaza, 275 Main St.