Original Research by School Decision on Grow Academy Shafter District
Grow Academy Shafter District is a small charter district serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade in Shafter, California. The district comprised a single school, Grow Academy Shafter, but that school closed at the end of the 2024-25 school year, effective June 30, 2025. For the 2025-26 school year and going forward, families in this area now fall under Richland School District for their K-8 education.
Before its closure, Grow Academy Shafter operated as an independent public charter with a blended-learning model that included a Learning Lab and an edible schoolyard program. The district's enrollment prior to closure was small, with about eight hundred students spread across kindergarten through eighth grade, with enrollment relatively even across grade levels. The student body was predominantly Hispanic, with smaller representations of white and multiracial students, and very few students from other racial and ethnic backgrounds.
Limited academic performance data is available for this district. State testing results and proficiency metrics were not reported, which may reflect the charter's alternative instructional model or the timing of the closure. A four-year graduation rate does not apply, as the district served only through eighth grade. Chronic absenteeism data prior to closure placed the district in the top quartile among Kern County's districts, meaning attendance was notably stronger than the county median. Per-pupil spending was in the upper-middle range compared to other county districts.
The closure of Grow Academy Shafter represents a significant transition for families who had chosen this charter. The blended-learning approach and edible-schoolyard emphasis that characterized the school are no longer available in their original form. Parents and residents should contact Richland School District directly to understand enrollment procedures, school assignments, curriculum offerings, and any transition supports for students who were attending Grow Academy Shafter. A parent may want to reach out to the district to learn what programs and instructional approaches are now available to students in the area and how the transition from the charter model to the traditional district schools is being managed.
See more original research from School Decision →