What is the Academy of Innovative Arts?
Introducing a new, small, hands-on public high school, coming soon to the El Molino campus in Forestville
(Disclosure: Dale Dougherty, the author of this article and co-owner of the Sebastopol Times, has been involved in the development of the new high school discussed in this article.)
At the WSCUHSD board of trustees meeting on Dec. 18, Superintendent Chris Meredith asked the board to approve a new, innovative high school for the former campus of El Molino. They did so, but a name for the new school waited for the board to make a decision at the Jan. 22 meeting. The name “El Molino” was favored by many, but it was also contentious. So, after much board discussion in January, a new name was chosen: “Academy of Innovative Arts.” The rational and the vision for the school as well as its name—all this will be explained.
The December 18th meeting was the first meeting of the 2025 board: Lewis Buchner (President); Jeanne Fernandes (Vice President); Shawn Chernila (Clerk); and new members, Linda Tighe Helton and Rio Kuteira. Alina Peterson is the student board representative from Analy and Laneyjah Hayden is the student board member from Laguna.
To state the obvious, the closure of El Molino High School in 2021 to consolidate two comprehensive high schools into one (Analy) remains an unresolved issue for many in the District. The decision to move forward with a new school was delayed until the results of a second unification study were presented in early December. (See “District unification study casts doubt on plans to reopen El Molino High School.”)
As a parallel effort, the District has a grant to explore creating a community school campus in Forestville. Superintendent Chris Meredith has held community meetings in Guerneville, Monte Rio and Forestville to discuss the community campus plan, which involves Laguna High School, the existing iAcademy and this new school along with other community services. As part of the process, Meredith solicited input from the community on what they’d like to see in a new school.
The Rationale and Vision for a New School
In Nov. 16, 2022, the Board authorized Meredith to lead the exploration of an innovative school. Meredith mentioned the following reasons:
Addressing enrollment loss to neighboring school districts.
Responding to demand for specialized, small-school experiences.
Expanded use of the Forestville Campus.
Over two years later at the December 18th meeting, Meredith presented a slide deck about the proposed new school. He re-stated the reasons for it:
Over a 4-year period from 2020-2024, the District lost 101 students to non-comprehensive high schools or programs. This is a net loss of ADA totaling $1,195,800.
The majority of the families who left the district indicated they were seeking a smaller specialized learning environment or non-comprehensive school experience.
He provided an overview of the vision for “a small, non-comprehensive high school combining academics with technical and entrepreneurial skills.” He said that research shows that “the sweet spot for a small, non-comprehensive high school is about 60 students per grade level.”
He described an opportunity for the District to serve students who were not interested in a traditional high school. The new school would be a “choice” school that would be designed to align with differing needs and interests of students. He believed that it might also attract students who are currently homeschooled or choosing online schools.
The location of the new school will be on the former El Molino campus, which it would share with Laguna High School. Laguna is a continuation high school for 11th and 12th graders and has 60 students this school year. The new school would share the same principal, counselor and other administrative staff as Laguna.
This new school would open in August 2025 with an incoming class of 30 first-year students and start with two teachers who have multiple credentials to teach the integrated curriculum. In-district students who apply will be admitted before out-of-district students. Also, its students would be able to participate in athletic programs at Analy.
There were some concerns about the new school expressed at the meeting, some from the teacher’s union representative, Lily Smedshammer. She said that it could be difficult to hire teachers with the kind of credentials needed for the new school. Several teachers from Laguna expressed their concern that the new school would negatively impact Laguna High School. One said how much she valued what Laguna offered its students and she wanted assurance that it would “continue being the number one priority on campus.”
Greg Alexander, the principal of Laguna, said that while he appreciated the comments of his teachers, he gave his support for the new school in no uncertain terms: “I’m all-in on the new school.” He said that adding 30 students on campus next year will not be an issue for the facility or staff, given that they had 20 more students at Laguna last year. He said the new school will also benefit the Laguna faculty and students. Following Alexander’s comments, the board voted unanimously to support the new school.
The Challenge to Name the New School
At the same meeting, a proposal to use the El Molino name, as in “El Molino Academy,” was presented and then debated as to whether it honored the former high school, showed disrespect for its legacy, or was simply confusing. There were strong feelings among those in attendance, mainly teachers. A former El Molino teacher said that it caused her PTSD to hear the name El Molino because of all that she had gone through during consolidation. Another noted the possible confusion if there were two El Molino schools, the high school that had closed and a new one that had the same name but was different. Some suggested alternative names such as “Russian River Academy" and “Innovation Academy.”
While board seemed ready to approve El Molino, they backed off after public comment. Instead, the board directed Meredith to conduct a public survey and get input from the community on a range of names.
Creating A Makerspace
This is my part. A makerspace was part of the planning for a new school. The District gave a lease to me through the non-profit Maker Education Initiative (makered.org) for several rooms in a building at El Molino. It took a few months to obtain insurance, but a group of people have worked with me to clear, clean and renovate the rooms, which were once an auto shop and then more recently an art studio. The makerspace now is equipped with 3D printers, laser cutters, woodworking tools as well as workbenches.
From my experience, there are a lot of students who would benefit from active, hands-on learning experiences. It is how they learn best. Makerspaces can give students this opportunity to become self-directed learners who can do real-world projects, based on their ideas and interests. It can also help them develop confidence in their own capabilities as they work cooperatively with their peers.
Schools used to have shops with programs such as Industrial Arts. It typically included courses on woodworking, metalworking and ceramics that taught both practical and creative skills. This program retains a connection to Industrial Arts but also introduces a wide range of new technologies, including hardware and software tools along with appropriate uses of AI. In this environment, where core subjects like science, math and humanities are integrated into the projects they do, students can develop the skills and mindset to design and create products or solve real-world problems. They will be encouraged to identify problems worth solving in their own community and explore entrepreneurial opportunities.
I like the name Innovative Arts because it echoes Industrial Arts but also reflects that teachers and students can be innovators today. To innovate and create change in the world, you have to look at the things differently while taking your own ideas seriously enough to act on them and see where they lead. The Academy of Innovative Arts can offer students authentic learning experiences that will help them identify college and career opportunities that are relevant for their future.
The makerspace will be primarily used for the new school but it will also offer educational programs including workshops, summer camps and even some adult education. An open house will be held in February and at other dates throughout the spring.
The Survey Said…
Back to naming. At the January 22nd meeting, Superintendent Meredith presented the results of the survey.
The respondents overwhelmingly voted for “El Molino Academy.” There was some public comment as well. Former Board President Julie Aiello spoke about the name and advised the board to avoid El Molino. She asked them to think of the challenge of marketing a new school. “Choose a name that might inspire students to give it a try. Give it a new name,” she said. Others spoke about honoring the El Molino name. I spoke and explained the idea of Innovative Arts. An Analy Junior named Jonah said he liked “Russian River Academy.”
When Board President Buchner asked for the trustees to weigh in, Rio Kuteira said that he was “glad we did a survey.” He thought the Board should listen to the survey respondents and go with “El Molino Academy.” Linda Helton also agreed with following the survey. The Board seemed to be converging on “El Molino Academy.” But then Shawn Chernila, a person who does not often have much to say at Board meetings, spoke up. “I can’t go along with naming the school after El Molino,” he said. “It’s not the El Molino that people want it to be.” He also suggested calling it “West County Academy of Innovative Arts. He also suggested that the entire campus be called El Molino “because that’s what people call it.” It was a popular suggestion, as it was echoed later by others.
Jeanne Fernandes followed Shawn Chernila and she proposed “Academy of Innovative Art” as the name. After some more discussion, that name was approved. The new school had a new fresh start.
There also seemed to be modicum of joy in that the “the Forestville Campus” and “the former El Molino school campus” will go away in future District correspondence and the cherished West County site will be referred to officially as “El Molino Community Campus” or “El Molino”, for short. It’s what people have always called it.
You can read more about the school and its philosophy in the Founding Principles and Program Guide that Meredith presented.
We have reimagined school around four primary areas:
Systems and structures informed by and responsive to student voice and choice.
Physical and social-emotional environments that support students and teachers and "humanize" the high school experience.
Authentic learning experiences built around integrated, project-based curriculum connected to the world beyond school and utilizing cutting-edge technology.
Strong partnerships with local community organizations built around the tenets of authentic Real World Learning (RWL) experiences.
The next step is to promote The Academy of Innovative Arts in West Sonoma County and recruit a freshman class of 30 students. A website is in the works as well as an online application form. There’s a lot of work ahead, and there are many questions still to answer. The Academy of Innovative Arts will offer a unique educational environment for its students and families; all that will benefit the broader West Sonoma County community.
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Fabulous news and fabulous reporting. I loved how the board came around to a fresh new name. The maker initiative will be inspiring and productive. Kudos to all involved.