For years, the traditional narrative around charter schools and school districts has been defined by conflict: competing for the same students, the same families, and the same funding. In California it’s particularly a conflict zone. But in today’s environment, where birth rates are falling, student mobility is high due to a challenging housing market, and families have more educational choices than ever…the competitive district vs. charter model simply isn’t sustainable. And it’s certainly not good for students, because it’s not healthy business competition.
Forward-thinking districts, charters, and even county offices of education are beginning to recognize a different path: collaboration as a strategy for shared enrollment growth, innovation, and long-term stability.
One of the clearest examples is the Dehesa School District–Method (charter) Schools partnership, which resulted in the creation of the Dehesa Method Sports Academy (DMSA). Now in year two, both organizations are seeing the benefits in the form of sustained enrollment growth, new programmatic opportunities, and the possibility of reduced operational risk.
Based on my experience as a district and charter business leader, here’s why this kind of partnership works, and why more school districts (potential charter authorizers) should consider it.
Most enrollment struggles (that extend beyond the demographic changes that affect everyone) aren’t caused by marketing problems; they’re caused by program sameness. If every school offers a version of the same thing, families will always migrate toward whichever option feels closest, easiest, or least disruptive. Often in that order.
The goal with DMSA was to break that mold entirely.
By combining Dehesa’s authorizing authority as a district with Method’s experience running specialized online, hybrid, and specialized learning models, the partnership created something neither could build alone, which was a true student-athlete program that includes:
The result: Families who have long struggled for a unique school experience for their student-athlete now have a compelling public option in San Diego county.
Educational innovation is expensive and often uncertain. Standalone districts or charters rarely have the risk tolerance or budget to launch a new program with no guaranteed enrollment.
But partnerships often change the math.
In the case of DMSA:
This shared structure means:
Both partners have skin in the game, so both have reason to invest in quality.
One of the most misunderstood points and entrenched ideas in the charter/district landscape is the idea that the system is zero-sum. In reality, the biggest competitor for both districts and charters is outside the public education system entirely.
Student-athlete families, high-performing students seeking flexibility, and families with unique scheduling needs often choose:
DMSA brings many of those families back into the public system or keeps them from leaving in the first place. It’s an expansion of the overall school services market.
One of the most underrated aspects of charter–district partnerships is the ability to combine strengths:
DMSA is a case study in what happens when each partner stays in its lane and also expands its capacity through collaboration.
Instead of competing for students, both organizations created:
It’s really a case of efficiency instead of redundancy.
Most states, California included, have entered a long-term declining enrollment environment. Every credible forecast shows:
The systems that thrive will be the ones that innovate collaboratively, not the ones that cling to outdated adversarial models. Families expect more now, as they should. The Dehesa–Method partnership is one of the most tangible examples of what the next decade of public education could look like:
And most importantly, under this scenario more students choosing to stay in the public system.
The success of DMSA isn’t accidental. It required:
But the payoff is real: Both Dehesa and Method are now seeing enrollment growth during a statewide period of decline.
This is one blueprint. And the best part for students is this: other districts and charters can replicate it. If this can happen in San Diego county, it can happen anywhere. San Diego County is widely recognized as one of the most challenging charter authorization environments in the state, with some of the highest rates of denials and appeals.
If public education in San Diego and beyond is going to remain resilient in a high-choice future, partnerships like DMSA won’t be the exception. They’ll be ubiquitous and essential.
At Method, we’re already working on expanding more DMSA-type programs into new communities.
Originally posted at SchoolCBO.org by the same author.