Bright Star's Mission: At Bright Star Schools, we open minds and doors. Our schools provide a rigorous college-preparatory education, offer individual attention and teach skills necessary to make good life choices. Through Bright Star’s culture of personal responsibility, respect and accountability, students learn to be conscientious, compassionate and creative members of our diverse communities.

The first Bright Star charter school, Stella Middle Charter Academy, opened in July 2003, and currently serves approximately 360 students in 5th – 8th grades in mid-city Los Angeles.  Its second school, Bright Star Secondary Charter Academy, opened in 2006 and serves approximately 150 students in 9th – 11th grades in mid-city Los Angeles.  Students are 93% Latino, 5% African-American, and approximately 95% qualify for the free-or-reduced lunch program.

The education model focuses on an academically rigorous program that provides students with the academic, intellectual, emotional and character skills necessary for success. Stella Academy has several characteristics that make its model distinctive from other schools, including: a longer school day and year, individualized curriculum, mandatory summer academic camp, and Spanish literacy for all students.

Bright Star's academic results are outstanding. In 2008, Stella Academy achieved an Academic Performance Index score of 785, and Bright Star Secondary Charter Academy achieved a 794.  These schools were recognized in June of 2008 by the California Charter Schools Association as the top two charter schools in all of LAUSD (based on 2007 results).

Contact:
Jeff Hilger
323-954-9957
www.brightstarschools.org
2636 Mansfield Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90016

About our grant:
Initial grant date: July 1, 2005 - June 30, 2006
Recent grant amount: N/A
Cumulative grant: $120,000
LASVP Lead Partners: Candy Deemer