Just one week after the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District board shut down Prosser Creek Charter School, some families and administrators sat down and created a partnership.

The partnership – to be called Creekside Magnet School – won’t be a charter school, but it will be as similar as possible to the former Creekside campus of Prosser Creek, said Melissa Mohler, the former Creekside administrator, and district Superintendent Dennis Williams.

On Wednesday, Williams and Mohler met to discuss their vision of the magnet school, which will be based at the former Rideout Elementary School.

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“I’m excited that we are offering our parents a choice that aligns to a program that was valued by many parents,” Williams said.

Enrollment for the kindergarten-through-sixth-grade program begins immediately and is open to all students in the district boundaries. Transportation will be available for students on the Lake Tahoe side of the district and on the Truckee side if there is enough interest.

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The school will focus on inquiry-based learning that follows state standards and a positive discipline plan, Mohler said, much like the charter school’s program. The magnet will include an arts and enrichment program with attention to different learning styles, also a part of the former Creekside program.

“I feel positive that we are going to see more support in the community with the [district’s involvement],” Mohler said.

Depending on how many families are interested, classes will be staffed with the district’s maximum student-teacher ratios: 20-to-1 for kindergarten through third grade and 28-to-1 for grades four through six. The magnet school will have six classes available on the campus.

On Sept. 2, the first day of school, four classrooms will be set up and staffed with substitutes, depending on the enrollment numbers the district receives today.

The district distributed a job flyer specifying the specialized training – including experience with inquiry-based learning and positive discipline philosophies – that administrators will consider when hiring for teaching positions at Creekside.

The number of students who sign up for the program will determine staffing numbers.

However, it doesn’t matter how many children sign up for the program, Creekside Magnet School will be there on the first day of school, Williams said.

“It’s a go, whether it’s two, four or six classes.”

Any families living within school district boundaries interested in signing up for Creekside Magnet School can call 581-0157 for more information. Registration packets are available at the district office or at Rideout Elementary School.