The vote reverses Twin Rivers Unified’s decision following a state audit and ABC10 investigation into fiscal mismanagement allegations
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento County Board of Education voted 4-3 Tuesday night to overturn the Twin Rivers Unified School District’s decision to revoke the charters for Highlands Community Charter School and California Innovative Career Academy, keeping the schools open for now.
One board member abstained from the vote.
The decision follows months of controversy surrounding Highlands Community Charter and Technical Schools after an ABC10 investigation, and a sweeping California State Auditor’s report found the schools improperly received more than $180 million in taxpayer funding.
The audit also raised concerns about fiscal oversight and alleged violations of state law, including nearly $2 million spent on a three-day all-staff trip to San Diego, leadership travel to France and Hawaii, unapproved campuses, credentialing issues, and failures to properly track instructional time.
Twin Rivers Unified School District previously argued the charter school failed to fully correct the violations during a legally required remedy period that ended in September 2025. The district formally revoked the charters earlier this year.
But after hours of testimony Tuesday night, the Sacramento County Board of Education voted to reverse the decision.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Sacramento County Office of Education said the vote followed the appeals process outlined under state law.
“At the Board meeting on May 19, 2026, the Sacramento County Board of Education voted 4–3 to reverse the Twin Rivers Unified School District Board of Trustees’ decision to revoke the charter for Highlands Community Charter School,” the statement read. “Both actions followed the formal appeals process outlined in state law and reflect the Board’s obligation to review appeals of District Board of Education’s charter revocation decisions.”
The county board also separately voted to overturn Twin Rivers’ revocation of California Innovative Career Academy. Together, the schools operate under Highlands Community Charter and Technical Schools, serving both traditional students and adult learners, including immigrants, refugees, and formerly incarcerated people.
On Wednesday, Twin Rivers Unified said it has not yet decided whether it will appeal the ruling to the California State Board of Education.
“At this time, no decision has been made about whether to pursue an appeal,” said Twin Rivers Unified School District Communications Director Zenobia Gerald. “We’ll be discussing next steps with our Board of Trustees.”
Highlands leaders argued throughout the process that the school has undergone significant reforms under new leadership.
Following the vote, Highlands Executive Director Jonathan Raymond told ABC10 the charter with Twin Rivers remains active through June 2027. He also said Highlands has already submitted an application for a new charter through the Yuba City Unified School District.
“We look forward to making our case to the board about the importance of our school and the population we serve,” Raymond previously said. “Over the past year, we have made tremendous progress to right this ship, but we are not done because we know our students have nowhere else to go to get the support they need.”
The vote drew immediate criticism from labor leaders and educators who have pushed for years for greater oversight of the charter system.
“We are disheartened to hear that the Sacramento County Office of Ed board reversed the Twin Rivers USD Board’s decision to revoke the Highlands Community Charter,” said Brittoni Ward, president of Twin Rivers United Educators.
Ward said educators had raised concerns for years about “fraud, staff mistreatment, and corruption at Highlands.”
“It was only after a state audit confirmed massive fraud at the charter school that the school board took action and revoked the charter,” Ward said. “We remain committed to fighting for Highlands students, educators, and our greater community, and will continue advocating for accountability, transparency, and the protection of public education.”
Ahead of the meeting, the California Teachers Association also urged the county board to uphold the revocations, arguing Highlands failed to correct many of the violations by the legal deadline.
The Sacramento County Office of Education’s own analysis acknowledged the county board’s role was limited to determining whether Twin Rivers’ findings were supported by “substantial evidence.”
According to records, Twin Rivers accused Highlands and CICA of operating unapproved grade levels and campuses, using improperly credentialed teachers, failing to properly track attendance and instructional minutes, submitting late audits, and engaging in fiscal mismanagement.
The analysis also detailed allegations involving public money spent on a luxury condominium lease in San Diego and expenses tied to a Marysville baseball field.
Despite those findings, Highlands leaders say the organization has spent months implementing reforms, including changes to staffing, credentialing, attendance tracking, and governance policies.
The legal battle may not be over.
Under state law, either side can still appeal the decision to the California State Board of Education.
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