FAQ: TK-12 Partnership
Between Equitas & Collegiate

This partnership offers tremendous advantages to both Collegiate and Equitas. For Collegiate specifically, major benefits include:

• Improving Student Outcomes: Joining Equitas will enable Collegiate to grow and serve more students. With the anticipated steady pipeline of 8th-grade applicants from EQ2 and EQ4 middle schools, Collegiate will be able to fill more seats and expand offerings like AP and dual enrollment courses.  Additionally, next year Collegiate will be able to offer a competitive soccer team and will be exploring other programmatic enhancements over the coming years – all made possible by additional students and support from the Equitas network.

• Providing a Permanent Home: Collegiate’s current co-location at Stevenson MS has presented some challenges. Moving to the Equitas-owned site at 2501 W. 7th Street gives Collegiate a dedicated space, free of co-location constraints, and tailored to students’ needs. 

• Enhancing Support for the School: Becoming part of Equitas means that Collegiate will be integrated into a well-established, highly successful network of schools. Equitas’s senior leadership, including the CEO, Chief Schools Officer, and Managing Director of Schools have extensive experience at the high school level, so they are well-positioned to offer professional development and guidance to the instructional leaders at Collegiate.

Current Equitas CEO, Dr. Sofia Roditti, will lead the entire Equitas network of schools, including Equitas Collegiate High School. Dr. Natalie Mejia will continue as the Principal at the high school.

Equitas’s mission, vision, and core values closely align with those of Collegiate.  This TK-12 partnership will build upon the principles of equity and excellence that both Equitas and Collegiate have embodied since their schools were founded.

Equitas has built a strong reputation for its unwavering commitment to academic excellence and the well-being of every student. In 2024, both of Equitas’s middle schools were recognized as California Distinguished Schools – a testament to the dedication and hard work of their educators, scholars, and families. Equitas’s focus on academic achievement and nurturing the whole child aligns perfectly with Collegiate’s values. Additionally, Equitas’s senior leaders have extensive experience managing high schools, which will allow them to build upon Collegiate’s proud legacy.

Equitas has a strong track record of sound decision-making, strong fiscal management, and operational excellence — all of which will support Collegiate’s students, staff, and families. This proven experience, combined with Equitas’s visionary leadership, gives the Collegiate team and Board confidence that all Collegiate students will continue to benefit and thrive through this partnership.

Please visit the Equitas website to learn more.  

A “CMO” is a network of charter schools with one central office and management team designed to support all schools in the network. Schools that are part of a CMO receive additional resources and expertise in key areas such as compliance, operations, academics, governance, fiscal management, human resources, culture, and enrollment. Joining the Equitas CMO gives Collegiate access to deeper infrastructure and long-term stability. 

The school will be named Equitas Collegiate High School, based on a recommendation from the Joint Steering Committee and input from students.

Part of the reason that Equitas and Collegiate began exploring a TK-12 partnership is because of the shared values and alignment around both organizations’ vision for students. Both Equitas and Collegiate focus on providing rigorous academics, building strong community connections, and ensuring the whole child is supported. The Equitas core values of Joy, Community, Belonging, Advocacy, and Growth are highly aligned to what Collegiate treasures.

Equitas and Collegiate are committed to being transparent about any potential shifts and will provide strong support to ensure that changes are implemented as smoothly as possible. One change anticipated during the 2025-2026 year for example, will be that Collegiate will be adopting the mission, vision, and core values of Equitas to ensure organizational alignment. All changes will be rooted in student needs, equity, and shared values.

Yes, Equitas Collegiate High School  students will continue to have uniforms, similar to all Equitas students. Current Collegiate students may continue to use old uniforms or buy new ones. New high school students will be wearing a new design, and details will be published to the community later this summer.

Collegiate leaders and staff will become employees of Equitas. Equitas made an offer of employment to every Collegiate staff member to support continuity and create the smoothest possible transition. As a result,  the majority of Collegiate staff intend to transition to Equitas in ‘25-’26. Dr. Natalie Mejia will also continue as the school Principal. 

Until June 30, 2025, the Collegiate Board has responsibility for overseeing and approving key decisions related to Collegiate, such as the LCAP and budget. For Board recommendations and day-to-day decisions, the Collegiate and Equitas leadership teams will continue to work collaboratively to make decisions for the 2025-2026 school year. The two organizations remain committed to  a collaborative decision-making framework to ensure that decisions are made with appropriate input from both organizations.

Existing bus transportation for current Collegiate High School students is a commitment Equitas will continue to support in the 2025-2026 school year .  The current plan is to add an additional route to bring students from the Boyle Heights Area. Additional details about bus schedules will be provided later in the summer, prior to the start of the ‘25-26 year.  

There will be no changes to the special education services provided to students at Collegiate next year. All special education services will continue to be provided based on each student’s IEP. Services may be provided by a different internal or external provider based on the capacity of the Equitas and Collegiate staff and external partners.

Equitas will be continuing all current extracurricular activities, sports, and clubs next school year, including soccer.  Enrollment growth over the next several years will enable the school to consider more programs as well. In addition, Equitas Collegiate High School was recently approved as an affiliate member of the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), which means that ECHS athletic teams will be competing within CIF. This paves the way for ECHS to qualify for CIF playoffs in future years.

With the TK-12 partnership, Collegiate will transition to the Equitas academic calendar in the 2025-2026 school year, though it's important to note that the Equitas and Collegiate calendars are largely aligned. While calendars change every year, the Equitas calendar typically starts in mid-August, ends in early June, has a two-week winter break, and has a one-week spring break (usually the same week as LAUSD). In terms of the daily schedule, the Equitas Collegiate High School day is expected to start at 8:30 am and dismiss at 3:40 pm Monday through Thursday, with a 1:37 pm dismissal on Friday.

Equitas is committed to the ongoing well-being of all students and has a long history of supporting their mental health needs through school staff and key partnerships with outside organizations. Collegiate students will benefit from these existing partnerships and mental health services.  Collegiate teachers and administrators will also support students as they go through this transition.

The new Collegiate facility is in a dense urban area with less green space than Stevenson MS. However, having full control of  a private building provides significant advantages. Additionally, Equitas is exploring city-owned green spaces and sports facilities through partnerships with community-based organizations. As the school year approaches, more details will be shared about plans for the coming year.

EQ4 has a four-year history of operating at Equitas’s 2501 7th Street location. The school’s strong safety plan has ensured that all students, staff, and families have remained safe. Monthly safety drills, regular walk-throughs, and partnerships with local safety officers will continue to ensure a secure environment.

Yes! Equitas is open to all students. Any guardian interested in applying to Equitas for their child may complete an Enrollment Interest Form to start the process as soon as possible and the Equitas team will be in touch with you.