— – Ivy Bound’s 2017 charter petition
The Ivy Bound Academy of Math, Science, and Technology Charter Middle School sits in the shadow of the connector road between the 101 and 405 freeways. Its 86 students attend school in a brick industrial building breathing in the fumes from thousands of passing vehicles as they transition from the Valley’s primary eastbound artery to the busiest route north. Netting protects cars from balls straying from the playground, but they would do nothing to stop an errant big rig from inflicting unimaginable tragedy.
When the school opened in 2007, it had 130 students. Three years later, the student body had increased to 227 students. In 2017, when the school last applied to renew its charter, 231 students enrolled. The approved charter document predicted a consistent enrollment of 240 students through the five-year term …