Original Research by School Decision on Life Source International Charter District
Life Source International Charter District, which serves kindergarten through eighth grade in Los Angeles County, ceased operations in February 2025. The district's only school, Life Source International Charter, closed abruptly after more than a decade of operation, transferring approximately two hundred students mid-year to other programs and effectively ending the district as a functioning schooling option.
The enrollment before closure was small, distributed across the grade band with larger cohorts in the early grades and sharply smaller numbers in grades seven and eight. The student body was predominantly Black, with a substantial Hispanic population and a small share of multiracial students. No Asian, American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander students were reported in enrollment, and no white students were enrolled. Data on free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility, special education identification, and English learner status were not available.
The closure came in the context of financial and governance failures. Publicly reported allegations included financial mismanagement and embezzlement; late completion of the 2022-23 audit and failure to complete the 2023-24 audit; and the school's failure to submit a charter renewal petition before its authorization was set to expire in June 2025. These were not operational hiccups but systemic failures that led the school's board to vote for closure in early February, with the last day of classes on February 10.
Before the closure, the district reported a chronic absenteeism rate in the bottom quartile when compared against the broader set of Los Angeles County districts. Per-pupil current spending fell in the lower range across the county. State testing data were not available for this district, and a graduation rate does not apply because the district served only through eighth grade.
The closure was acknowledged formally by the Los Angeles County Office of Education, and Lancaster School District, the authorizing body, directed families to its Welcome and Wellness Center for enrollment in district schools or alternative programs. For any family that was considering this district before its closure, the relevant pathway now is to investigate the open enrollment, program breadth, and fit of Lancaster School District's own schools or other charter alternatives in the area.
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