SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — In South Park, a charter school named after a famous scientist just keeps growing.
Albert Einstein Academies even has a long waiting list to enroll — at a time when many traditional public schools are losing kids.
So, what's the secret?
“I enrolled my kids at Einstein because the community aspect was so attractive," said Amanda Rowe, who has two young kids at Einstein. "The students. The parents. The teachers. I feel like it’s a really safe, nurturing environment”
Rowe said Einstein offered her children an opportunity to learn German as well as the basics.
“The language provides them a chance to get to know other parts of the world and also expand their minds while their minds are so elastic," she said.
Albert Einstein Academies, 3035 Ash St., opened in 2002, and it's under the San Diego Unified School District.
In 1992, California became the second state in the nation to pass a charter school law. As of May, there were 1,283 charter schools and seven all-charter districts in California, according to the state Department of Education.
In 2022–23, nearly 12 percent of all public school kids were n charter schools.
Charter schools in California typically are under the supervision of a local school district.
What makes charters unique is they can offer parents a different type of education such as an emphasis on a foreign language to performing arts.
At Einstein, students can enroll in German or Spanish immersion programs, and there's an international baccalaureate curriculum.
There also were new classrooms when school began Aug. 12.
"Our students, after a long time of being in in temporary housing, so to speak, now get to have modern, clean, up-to-date classroom," said Superintendent David Sciarretta.
Enrollment has boomed so much at Einstein that the elementary campus has been under construction the past two years.
Einstein has been able to tap into school bond funds approved by San Diego voters to expand its campus.
Next comes a new high school that will be located about a mile away next to Einstein's middle school, 458 26th St.
"Our high school will be opening in fall 2027," Sciarretta said. "At full capacity, we will be just over 2,300 students.”
The enrollment growth at Einstein is similar to what has been seen at other charter schools in San Diego County.
There were 62,672 kids enrolled in charter schools about a decade ago. Last year, there were 84,431, according to school enrollment records.
That's a roughly 35% increase.
Sciarretta said charter schools first became popular more than 30 years ago by giving parents an educational choice for their kids.
“Charters were billed as the kind of hothouse for innovation, for practicing, kind of new approaches, a new vision to education," he said "We currently have just under 500 students on our waiting list.”
Sciarretta credits his teachers for the high demand at Einstein.
“Just a relentless focus on connecting with our families," he said. "That’s really what makes people keep coming back. When parents walk on our campus, it’s inviting. It’s beautiful.”
However, the overall growth of charter schools in greater San Diego could be slowing down.
More families are home schooling their kids since the pandemic and that means fewer kids in public schools.
Richard Barrera has been on the San Diego Unified School District Board since 2008.
He said many charters are now facing the same enrollment challenges as traditional public schools, and the district has not seen "many new charter petitions" the past seven or eight years.
"The other thing that’s happening with both charters and district run schools is the housing affordability crisis is pushing families out of San Diego," Barrera said.
However, Sciarretta said Einstein will continue to be an attractive option for parents.
In fact, he says the school has a bit of a secret weapon.
"We’ve been fortunate to have a pretty amazing namesake," he said. "Who doesn’t want to send their kids to a school named after Albert Einstein?”
