One school year was all it took for St. HOPE Public Schools to see roughly 70% of its teaching staff walk out the door, leaving a charter network that once listed more than 50 classroom teachers with only a small core of returning instructors. Principals scrambled to cover classes, emergency hires cycled through, and families reported disruption as campuses juggled reassignments. All of it unfolded while the network was under audit and operating under a conditional charter renewal that required a new operational agreement with the district.
According to The Sacramento Bee, St. HOPE had about 54 teachers on staff in November 2024, and only 16 of those educators remained in classroom roles a year later, a loss of roughly 70%. Documents reviewed by the Bee show St. HOPE leaders reported an 85% retention calculation, but the school’s method left out employees who departed during the 2024–25 school year, staff deemed ineligible to return because of credentialing or performance, and teachers who were promoted into nonteaching positions.
Audit Flags Financial, Credentialing Problems
An audit tied to the charter renewal flagged potential conflicts of interest, questionable accounting practices and a steep decline in teachers holding effective credentials. As reported by CapRadio, those findings helped prompt district conditions on the renewal and a demand for an operational memorandum of understanding that spells out how St. HOPE will fix the problems.
Who Left - And Who Stayed
On the last day of school in June 2025, the network listed 47 teachers. Only 26 of them returned to classrooms in the fall, about 55%, and the Bee reports that several others were ruled ineligible because they lacked required permits or credentials. The Sacramento reporting also notes that three teachers did not have contracts renewed, three moved into administrative posts, and a handful of hires in 2025 left before Thanksgiving. St. HOPE’s board voted to approve what parties hope is the final draft of the MOU at a Dec. 1 meeting, and SCUSD trustees are scheduled to vote on the agreement on Dec. 18, according to The Sacramento Bee.
Voices From The Classroom
Former and current teachers told reporters they often lacked coherent lesson plans, consistent curriculum materials, basic classroom supplies and functioning library services. Staff working in the schools described waves of provisional credentialing and uneven access to core materials, conditions that educators said made instruction harder and likely fueled turnover. Teachers also pointed to unresolved behavior issues and limited student support that piled extra stress on classroom staff.
District And St. HOPE Respond
Sacramento City Unified directed St. HOPE to develop corrective actions and an operational MOU as part of the conditional charter renewal, and the district says it will closely monitor compliance. The district's board recap documents the requirement that staff and the charter negotiate an MOU that outlines corrective steps and regular fiscal reporting. St. HOPE’s public site, meanwhile, emphasizes the organization’s college-acceptance results and community programs while stating it will implement the requested corrective measures. In public statements, school leaders say they are hiring additional supports and working to shore up credentialing and classroom resources.
Legal And Oversight Questions
The audit’s findings and a statewide task force pushing for tighter charter oversight have put governance and financial controls back on the agenda for Sacramento and beyond. CapRadio reports the task force’s recommendations could lead to stricter audit rules, new reporting requirements and closer authorizer supervision if the MOU and monitoring do not produce quick improvements.
