Original Research by School Decision on Aspire Berkley Maynard Academy District
Aspire Berkley Maynard Academy District is a kindergarten-through-eighth-grade charter district in Alameda County serving a small enrollment. The district operates a single school, Aspire Berkley Maynard Academy, located in North Oakland. However, families considering this district need to know that the school is permanently closing and will not reopen for the 2026-27 school year. This closure ends operations after more than two decades, and it is the most consequential change a family could weigh, since enrolling here is no longer an option. Current families are being assisted in securing enrollment elsewhere.
The closure was driven by enrollment decline and financial unsustainability. Leadership cited steep enrollment losses and a projected pattern in which only about half of currently enrolled students would return. An Aspire spokesperson indicated there was no fiscally responsible path forward given these realities, and the decision was made as soon as leadership became aware of the enrollment and budget situation.
The student body is predominantly Black, with a substantial Hispanic enrollment and smaller Asian and multiracial populations represented. The school serves families across all grade levels in its band, with relatively balanced enrollment from kindergarten through eighth grade.
In the period before the closure announcement, staffing decisions led to high teacher turnover and community instability. Publicly reported accounts indicate that families expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of programming delivered during this time, as departing teachers left the school fractured. This context matters for families who might have been considering or already enrolled in the school.
The district's per-pupil spending falls in the middle range, upper half among Alameda County's districts. Its chronic absenteeism rate sits below the midpoint when compared with other county districts, a positive indicator of student engagement, though a parent may want to understand that this measure comes from a school in transition.
State assessment data and graduation rates are not available for this district, which is typical for districts serving only elementary and middle grades, since state testing and high school completion metrics do not apply.
Given the permanent closure, families in the area will need to identify alternative schools for their children. Current students and families should work directly with Aspire and district enrollment staff to plan transitions.
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