A private school that allows students to help design their own curriculum is seeking to open campuses in the Bay Area, including San Mateo.
The Fusion Academy & Learning Center, an alternative-education organization that started in the San Diego area more than 20 years ago, plans to launch three sites in the region by September, serving sixth- to 12th-graders.
One campus is expected to open in San Francisco, while two others are being considered for the Peninsula and South Bay, school officials said. Fusion is choosing among San Mateo, Palo Alto, Cupertino and Los Gatos.
Each campus, likely to be housed in an office or mixed-commercial space, would have about 60 students.
“We are looking for space that is appropriate for a school and meets all of the local zoning and building-code requirements,” said Mike VanDinther, vice president of new school development for the Michigan-based American Education Group, Fusion’s management company.
Fusion has several schools running or planned already in Southern California and is looking to bring its brand of personalized instruction to the Bay Area.
“Our research indicates a critical need for alternative-education solutions,” VanDinther said in an e-mail. “Our recent visits with professionals confirm the need for a customized one-to-one high school experience for students in the Bay Area who are not getting their needs met in traditional settings.”
In a statement, American Education CEO Peter Ruppert said: “Parent interest in Fusion Academy has been exceptionally strong in each of the communities we’ve looked at since first deciding to replicate the school’s learning model outside San Diego. We serve a specific market that is seeking an educational alternative that will help students maximize their academic and social potential.”
Fusion, like a traditional school, provides a full curriculum with all core subjects such as math and English, VanDinther said.
But unlike in a traditional setting, he said, “Each student selects his or her own courses based on interests, strengths and goals. The course work in each subject is then tailored by each teacher to suit the student’s unique learning style.”
According to Fusion’s website, a student’s schedule can be flexible enough that he or she can take an extended time out of school for, say, traveling or participating in professional sports.
Tuition for a full-time student is between $25,000 and $30,000 a year, according to VanDinther.
For more information about Fusion, visit www.fusionacademy.com.
Contact Neil Gonzales at 650-348-4338.