Da Vinci + Wiseburn Lease Agreement

Da Vinci’s award-winning schools are here in our school community for the long-term. We remain committed to our partnership with WUSD and serving our current students, families, and all other interested students and families. And as a public school network, we do and will always support any and all efforts for Wiseburn families to have the options they want and need for their students, including starting their own district-operated high school. Since 2008, we’ve worked effectively in partnership with WUSD to build four DV high schools in Wiseburn.

We care deeply for our students and do not wish any disruption to their school experience. We understand that this information is unsettling; however, we feel transparency about WUSD's actions is important for our community to know. Da Vinci offers extensive support services and resources for all families that prioritize students’ physical and mental wellbeing.  Please connect with your student’s counselor for additional information.

We worked closely with our legal team and believe the lease agreement between WUSD and Da Vinci that ensures a 40-year lease for our three 201 N. Douglas campus schools cannot be broken. The lease agreement was established in 2015 and is publicly available on our Da Vinci website. WUSD has demanded that Da Vinci turn the existing long-term FUA into a nonexclusive one-year use agreement. Moreover, while Da Vinci supports WUSD’s plans to start a new high school, WUSD has announced they intend to operate the new high school at the 201 N. Douglas location that was constructed with charter school grant money to serve as the exclusive long-term home of the Da Vinci schools. Da Vinci believes WUSD had no legal grounds to terminate the lease agreement or displace the Da Vinci schools.  Da Vinci will continue to work through any issues, and we plan for normal operations next year and in the years ahead.

We do not believe WUSD can legally terminate the lease agreement for non-cause unilaterally. We made a formal request for WUSD to respect the terms of the agreement, and continue to work with our legal team on next steps as needed.

Da Vinci is always current Da Vinci students, parents/guardians, and staff interested in addressing the Wiseburn Board during Public Comments at an upcoming Wiseburn Board Meeting. It's important that Wiseburn Trustees hear from the school community. The purpose of these comments is to share your stories about the great education and opportunities students have at Da Vinci and your concern about WUSD's attempt to terminate Da Vinci Schools' 40-year lease agreement at the 201 Campus.  

We will share additional ways you can support our community in the future. Thank you for supporting Da Vinci Schools!

The letter we received could undoubtedly be perceived as an eviction though we don’t believe it had legal merit. We had heard from members of the Wiseburn community that the WUSD board had discussed “taking over” one or all of the Da Vinci schools at 201 N. Douglas. We know now that WUSD wants to open a district-operated high school and attempted to terminate our current 40-year lease.

WUSD owns the property at 201 N. Douglas St. In 2015, WUSD and Da Vinci entered into a lease agreement for Da Vinci to lease the property for a 40-year term with renewal options. Both organizations funded the construction of the existing facilities. WUSD contributed $87MM through the Measure AA school bond. Da Vinci contributed $52.4MM through matching funds from the Charter School Facilities Program. Neither organization could fund it on its own. Da Vinci is responsible for 100% of the property's maintenance, repairs, upgrades, and additions.

WUSD has stated that establishing a new high school is a complex process that will span several years. Da Vinci respects Wiseburn's desire to start a district high school, and we are happy to help WUSD open a district-operated high school, just not at the 201 Campus. Both organizations believe strongly in school choice. The issue here is about facility use. Da Vinci has a 40-year lease agreement with renewal options to use the property at 201 N. Douglas St. Wiseburn cannot unilaterally decide to terminate a valid lease agreement for its own use, to move out one or all of the Da Vinci high schools in order to create their own district-operated high school.

This would not be a valid reason to deny the renewal of the Da Vinci charters, which are up for renewal in June 2025. However, the issue at hand is about breaking the lease agreement. Given Da Vinci Schools are award-winning, globally recognized schools, it is unimaginable that the schools would not be renewed. Dr. David Brown, the former WASC accrediting commission executive director, said, “Da Vinci Schools are among the very finest I’ve seen.” Two of Da Vinci’s schools have been named California Distinguished Schools. Getting Smart, one of the nation’s leading educational voices, named Da Vinci one of America's “Top 75” school networks.

Yes. Since 2009, Da Vinci schools are Wiseburn high schools and belong to the Wiseburn community. But beyond what’s shared on the new Wiseburn webpage, we don’t have any information about a potential WUSD-operated high school or its implications. We encourage you to attend a future Wiseburn Board meeting and directly ask the WUSD board for responses to your questions.

We support any and all efforts to provide Wiseburn residents with the high school options they want for their children. We have worked collaboratively with the WUSD leadership team to develop articulated programs that allow students at WUSD TK-8 schools to continue their outstanding educational experience at Da Vinci Schools.  Examples include building robotics/STEM programs, music programs, a CIF athletics program, collaboration on “Rock Around the Block,” and many other programs that reinforce our partnership for the benefit of our students.

We will do everything we can to maintain our existing programming. We encourage you to attend a future Wiseburn Board meeting and directly ask the WUSD Board for specific responses to this and any other questions.

We still do not anticipate any impact on any of our staff, including teachers, at our schools. We acknowledge that this news of lease termination was disconcerting; however, we believe we are on solid legal ground and plan for our normal operations next year and in the years ahead.

WUSD authorizes the following Da Vinci Schools in the El Segundo/Wiseburn community: Da Vinci Design, Da Vinci Communications, Da Vinci Science, and Da Vinci Connect. Los Angeles County Office of Education authorizes Da Vinci RISE, which serves students throughout Los Angeles County. Da Vinci must be authorized by a school district or the county office as a charter. The Da Vinci Board comprises four Wiseburn residents and a former Wiseburn Superintendent. We hope to resolve this matter soon and maintain a collaborative working relationship with the District.