|Mueller Charter School|
Learn more about the California Golden Bell Award
ABOUT OUR SCHOOL
Mueller Charter School is one of 44 schools in the Chula Vista Elementary School District. Located 7 miles north of the Mexico/California border, Mueller is in its 16th year as a Charter. MCS was built in 1955 and consists of 36, K-8 classrooms. Two additional classrooms are used for special education programs: one for RSP students and one for SDC/SH students. Though the campus is old, a multi-million dollar modernization project in the summer of 2000 significantly upgraded our physical facilities. The school plant now features a performing arts center, literacy center, computer lab, and classrooms equipped with the latest in educational technology.
MCS enrolls approximately 1,000 extraordinary students. Though children can attend on both interdistrict and intradistrict transfers, the vast majority live within walking distance to the school.
Many of our children qualify for free or reduced lunch and many come from homes whose incomes are below the poverty level. In addition, many of our students are learning English as a second language and often come to school significantly behind their grade level peers. Coupled with a high mobility rate, Mueller has all of the hallmarks of a high poverty school.
In spite of these circumstances, or perhaps because of them, Mueller is staffed by teachers and support staff who have the training, the resources, and the commitment to create a national model for serving low income children.
Toward A National Model
Mueller was granted its first charter in 1993, not long after California passed the Charter School Act of 1992. The charter must be renewed every five years. We are now in our 4th cycle and continue to thrive as one of the state's most innovative public schools.
We are a national model for engendering academic excellence in spite of the challenges of poverty and second language acquisition.
MUELLER CHARTER SCHOOL NAMED TO
2009 & 2010 HONOR ROLL
The 2009 Honor Roll includes 1,317 California public elementary, middle and high schools that have been recognized by California’s business community for having demonstrated consistent high student academic achievement and have made significant progress toward closing achievement gaps among all their students.
“These schools are the bright spots of hope in efforts to raise student academic achievement and close persistent achievement gaps,” said Kirk Clark, executive director of CBEE. “By highlighting them, recognizing their achievement and giving them a voice we hope other schools can learn from these proven practices and we can begin to take their success to scale throughout the state.”
Award Winning Charter School
In December 2008, MUELLER CHARTER SCHOOL was named by the California Department of Education a
In announcing these award-winning schools, California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell said: “These schools deserve high praise for improving student achievement. They have addressed barriers to student success and were able to create a school environment conducive to learning. I hold these schools up as models for their success in ensuring that all students without regard to race, economic status, or physical or mental challenges are given the kind of education that allows them to achieve to their fullest potential.”