CCSA 2026 brought together 3,000 charter school leaders—up from 2,300 last year—and the energy in the convention center felt noticeably different. More optimistic. More forward-looking. After a challenging year, California charter leaders showed up ready to tackle what’s next.
We hosted four packed sessions and spent three days at our booth having real conversations about the challenges schools are facing right now. Here’s what we heard.
The Big Themes: What’s Keeping School Leaders Up at Night
1. Enrollment is as competitive as ever
The conversation has evolved. School leaders aren’t just asking “how do we get more students?”—they’re asking “how do we fill seats and keep students once they’re here?”
In our Homepage Hero workshop, leaders worked on their actual websites in real-time, rewriting headlines and calls-to-action to better connect with families. The energy in Seaside-4 was incredible—laptops open, people collaborating, real work getting done.
Ashley MacQuarrie’s Stop Posting into the Void session struck a nerve. School leaders are creating content, but families aren’t engaging. Parents aren’t enrolling. The 30-minute session packed in practical strategies: which platforms actually matter, how to tell your school’s story authentically, and realistic posting plans that won’t consume your entire week.
2. Facilities are a strategic asset, not just a building
Our Space to Thrive session with architect Danish Kurani showed how thoughtful facility design directly impacts learning outcomes and enrollment appeal. Schools are thinking bigger—not just about securing a building, but about creating spaces that families love and students can’t wait to explore.
3. The trifecta
Funding. Enrollment. Facilities. School leaders are tired of treating these as separate problems. Our School Success Trifecta workshop drew leaders who are ready to see how these three elements work together to create momentum.
Dr. Vendetta Dozier-Brown from Sacramento Valley Charter School shared her school’s journey, showing what strategic integration actually looks like in practice. The roadmap planning activity at the end had participants mapping out 36-month strategies.
What’s Next
The work doesn’t stop when the conference ends. We’re following up with every school leader we connected with, continuing conversations, and offering support where we can help. Whether that’s a consultation on facility options, guidance on enrollment strategy, or help navigating funding opportunities—we’re here for it.
To the 3,000 charter leaders who showed up in Long Beach: thank you for the conversations, the questions, and the energy you brought. Your commitment to building thriving schools inspires everything we do.
Can’t wait to see what you build next!
Want to continue the conversation? Whether you attended CCSA or not, we’d love to talk about your school’s goals. Schedule a consultation or reach out directly.
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