The Fresno Unified School Board will discuss charter oversight Wednesday night, after months of back-and-forth discussions between the district and a parent seeking public accountability and action.

Kristina Holmes-McIntyre has raised concerns since spring about Golden Charter Academy, a charter school authorized by the district.

Her grievances included a lack of access to student records, disciplinary measures, retaliation by staff, and unqualified staff — all reiterated by Fresno Unified. Now, she has filed formal complaints against the district and the board for failing their oversight duties.

She requested that the board address Golden Charter, parent grievances, and district concerns in a public meeting. This would prompt public accountability and create a space for parents to share concerns, Holmes-McIntyre said.

“Unfortunately, you have to publicly shame these people to bring them to tables that they should be sitting at anyway, because they’re avoiding doing their job,” Holmes-McIntyre told GV Wire.

The district has met these grievances with closed door meetings — declining to agendize and publicly address issues found at the charter.

“The district has formally communicated those concerns in writing to Golden Charter and provided the charter school a reasonable opportunity to respond,” said district spokesperson AJ Kato.

District personnel will share a presentation on oversight, the charter renewal process, a timeline, and performance categories at Wednesday’s trustees meeting. However, the agenda does not directly address Golden Charter Academy.

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Private Meeting Instead of Public Address

In lieu of a public item, the district previously scheduled a meeting between Superintendent Misty Her, Deputy Superintendent Ben Drati, and Holmes-McIntyre.

“The district believes the arrangement of a meeting between Superintendent Her and the parent was an appropriate means of responding to our understanding of her request and needs,” Kato said.

But Fresno Unified never notified Holmes-McIntyre that the meeting was in place of publicly addressing parent grievances, she said.

“My concern is that this is not what their board policies require that they do,” Holmes-McIntyre told GV Wire. “What they’re required to do is send an official report to the board, letting them know that they have material violation of California Education Code policy. And then, the board is supposed to agendize Golden Charter formally, and then they can make decisions or direct administration.”

She points to board policy 0420.41, which states, “Any violations of law by a charter school shall be reported to the Board.”

“(The district found) concerns with GCA’s student discipline processes, including concerns related to inconsistencies with law,” Board President Valerie Davis said in a September email to Holmes-McIntyre.

However, the district never presented these findings publicly to the School Board.

Davis and Superintendent Her determined that the issue did not need to be placed on a meeting agenda, according to Kato.

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Who is Responsible for Keeping Charters in Check?

Holmes-McIntyre asserts that Fresno Unified is failing its oversight duties by not directly interfering, investigating complaints, and issuing a Notice of Concern or a corrective action plan.

Fresno Unified is not responsible for Golden Charter’s daily operations and strives to maintain a fair process for charter schools to address concerns, Kato said. The district encourages parents to communicate to the district but direct complaints to the school site, she said.

“By failing to establish or exercise a process for addressing (complaints), FUSD is shirking its statutory oversight duty, effectively insulating (Golden Charter Academy) from accountability and allowing systemic harm to continue unchecked.,” Holmes-McIntyre said.

However, the School Board will weigh in on the charter’s renewal in spring 2027.

“The board’s jurisdiction will increase as we get closer to the time for charter renewal… All information will be taken into consideration as we approach the renewal period,” Fresno Unified Chief of Staff Ambra O’Connor said in an email to Holmes-McIntyre.

Holmes-McIntyre is worried that parent concerns will be minimized or swept under the rug if the district waits until the charter is up for renewal to address grievances.

She has filed formal complaints against the board with CDE, Fresno County Office of Education, and the Fresno Unified Office of General Counsel alleging that district has failed its oversight duties.

Related Story: Fresno Unified Trustee Accused of Trying to Silence Golden Charter Parent

Where Golden Charter Ranks

Currently, the district ranks Golden Charter Academy in the middle performance renewal tier, which means it’s eligible for a five-year extension.

The placement is based on the charter school’s performance on the California School Dashboard, measuring state testing, chronic absenteeism, suspension rate, and English learner progress.

Among Golden Charter’s 405 students, 19% met or exceeded ELA standards and almost 10% met math standards. The suspension rate is green (high performance) and chronic absenteeism is red (very low performance).

Golden Charter serves grades K-8, and nearly 83% of its students are from socioeconomically disadvantaged households.