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 consistently have greater opportunity to maximize the potential enrollment of every 9th-grade class. A more consistent pipeline of incoming 9th grade students will allow the high school to expand programmatic options, such as AP and dual enrollment course offerings. Additionally, next year Collegiate will be able to offer a competitive soccer team and will be exploring other programmatic enhancements over the coming years that are 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. By relocating to 2501 7th Street, a facility owned by Equitas, Collegiate students and staff will have access to their very own school facility. In a private facility, Collegiate will be able to tailor the environment to meet students' needs, ensuring a high-quality, impeccable learning environment free from external distractions. This move will not only enhance the instructional program but also provide transformative benefits for students.

• 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.

If the partnership is approved by LAUSD, the current Equitas CEO, Dr. Sofia Roditti, will lead the entire Equitas network of schools, including Collegiate. Dr. Natalie Mejia will continue as the Principal at the high school.

Equitas’s mission, vision, and core values closely align 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. By joining the Equitas network, Collegiate will benefit from the support of a high-functioning, fiscally responsible CMO with a proven track record of long-term academic success, financial stability, and sustainability.

Equitas and Collegiate expect that the school name will change with this partnership. The Joint Equitas and Collegiate Steering Committee will provide recommendations on the new name. Both organizations are currently working through the steps to develop and finalize the new school name.

Part of the reason that Equitas and Collegiate have been 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.

With this partnership, there are no immediate plans to make major changes to the instructional program. The charter, school leaders, teachers, instructional approach, and college preparatory focus will all remain the same. Specifically, Equitas has committed to minimizing changes next year, ensuring the continuity of Collegiate’s instructional program while balancing the school’s budget.

That doesn’t mean things will never change. It would be unrealistic to make that promise. Schools naturally evolve over time, making new and different decisions based on students’ needs and changing contexts. The Equitas and Collegiate communities should expect similar decisions in the future that will help Collegiate continue to grow, improve, and thrive. The goal behind every decision will be to enhance student outcomes while supporting staff and families.

The Equitas leadership team is committed to collaborating with Collegiate to ensure that it continues to be the best school it can be, building upon the collective successes of both organizations. Equitas and Collegiate are also committed to being transparent about any potential shifts and providing 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. As shared elsewhere, these are highly aligned to the Collegiate foundational elements.

Yes, Collegiate 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 Collegiate students will be wearing a new design. The Equitas and Collegiate teams are working on the details of the uniform policy, which will be published to the community later this spring.

Collegiate leaders and staff will become employees of Equitas. Equitas’s goal is to offer a position to every Collegiate staff member to support continuity and create the smoothest possible transition. Dr. Natalie Mejia will continue as the school Principal. Both organizations are currently going through the detailed process of analyzing the alignment of roles and compensation. The Equitas team is excited to meet with the Collegiate staff in late March, consistent with Collegiate’s normal offer timeline, to share conditional offer letters and related next steps.

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 be working collaboratively over the coming months to make decisions for the 2025-2026 school year. The two organizations have agreed upon a collaborative decision-making framework to ensure that decisions are made with the appropriate input from both organizations.

Existing bus transportation for current Collegiate High School students is a commitment to Collegiate families that Equitas will continue to support in the 2025-2026 school year based on demand by enrolled students. Currently, the expectation is that the existing bus route will continue and an additional route will be added to bring students from the Boyle Heights Area.

There will not be a change 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. In addition, the TK-12 partnership will allow Collegiate to grow student enrollment over the next several years, which will allow the school to explore additional extracurricular activities in future years. Enrollment growth will enable the school to consider more programs because the school will have additional financial resources as well as increased student interest.

With the TK-12 partnership, Collegiate will transition to the Equitas academic calendar in the 2025-2026 school year. 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 Collegiate school day is expected to start at 8:30 am and end at 3:40 pm Monday through Thursday, and end at 1:37 pm on Friday.

Equitas is committed to the ongoing well-being of all students and has a long history of supporting their mental health needs both through school staff and key partnerships with outside organizations. Equitas will remain committed to this priority and therefore Collegiate students will be able to also benefit from these partnerships and practices. Collegiate teachers and administrators will also be invaluable to 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. Equitas is committed to leveraging existing and new partnerships as Equitas and Collegiate explore additional outdoor space opportunities for students. 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. The components of this safety plan include monthly safety walkthroughs led by the operations team, monthly drills for all students and staff, and an ongoing partnership with local safety officers. Equitas will be employing the same strategies next year to ensure the continued safety of everyone in Equitas’s care.

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