San Diego County launched a series of public meetings Wednesday to gather feedback on the future of San Pasqual Academy, an Escondido campus serving foster youth.
Residents can participate in the three remaining community sessions – two of them virtual – to ask questions, share ideas and learn more, according to a county statement.
Wednesday’s meeting took place at the county Child and Family Well-Being Office. Another in-person session follows at 10 a.m. Friday at the North Inland Live Well Center, 649 W. Mission Ave. in Escondido.
Two meetings next week will be virtual: 10 a.m. Monday and 4:30 p.m. July 22.
More information, including the Zoom link and passcode, can be found online.
Located in Escondido, the 238-acre academy is described by county officials as a first-in-the-nation residential educational campus designed specifically for foster youth.
The San Pasqual campus opened 25 years ago to educate and house foster children ages 12 to 17. The academy also offers placement options for young people through age 19.
Four agencies, through a public-private arrangement, operate the academy: county government, Rite of Passage, San Diego County Office of Education, and San Diego Center for Children and Access. The nonprofit Friends of San Pasqual Academy provides additional resources.
It was originally slated to close in October 2021 because of declining enrollment and the loss of funding resulting from changes in state and federal foster care laws.
In December 2021, a San Diego Superior Court judge granted a temporary injunction that allowed the academy to remain open after supporters filed a lawsuit challenging the changes in state law.
In January 2022, the county Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a plan to continue operations at the academy, as a way to transition it into a multipurpose campus for foster youth.
The county, citing a shift in state and federal child welfare policies toward prevention and family reunification, “is exploring how the campus can evolve to better support local youth and families today,” officials said recently.
Last November, the county begin discussing the academy’s future with foster youth, advocates and other residents. An update to the Board of Supervisors is set for August.
