Court and Community Schools
Court and Community Schools
As part of SCOE’s mission to ensure every student in Sonoma County has access to the best possible education, the Student Support Services & Accountability team collaborates with the County Board to operate a community school and the educational programs at Juvenile Hall.
Amarosa Academy in southwest Santa Rosa is SCOE’s community school. It serves students who have experienced difficulty in traditional school settings or have exhibited negative behavior patterns in school or the community. Some have been expelled from a district school, identified as habitually truant, placed on probation by the juvenile justice system, or otherwise referred by a district, probation, or social service agency.
The program emphasizes reestablishing students’ educational direction by providing credit recovery and a learning environment that meets their needs. Often, Amarosa students are able to return to classrooms in their home districts.
Amarosa Academy operates an independent study program and a teen parent program that provides on-site childcare, parenting resources, and other support so that pregnant and parenting students can graduate from high school.
The school at Sonoma County’s Juvenile Justice Center serves students ages 12 to 18 who have been arrested and booked on criminal charges and are either serving time or awaiting disposition by the court. They begin participation in school within 24 hours of detention, with enrollment varying from one day to several months.
In the 2024-25 school year, SCOE’s community and court schools served approximately 105 students daily and about 319 students during the school year from throughout Sonoma County.
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Supporting Students with Special Education Services
County Programs Shrink as Districts Serve More Students
For decades, SCOE’s Special Education department has helped ensure that every student in Sonoma County has access to a free, public education. The department’s staff provides instruction and services to students ages 3 to 22 who have physical, cognitive, emotional, or developmental disabilities. Each has been identified to receive specialized instruction through an individualized education program (IEP). For decades, many of our county’s most vulnerable learners were served in classrooms operated by SCOE. But in recent years, the state has encouraged more students who qualify to receive special education services to be educated in their home school districts, rather than referred to outside programs.
This shift reflects a growing body of research that shows better educational outcomes when students access education in their neighborhood schools, integrated with the general student population as much as possible. SCOE, in partnership with Sonoma County districts and the Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA), have prioritized keeping students in their neighborhood schools whenever possible.
In Sonoma County, school districts have expanded their own special education programs, hired and trained specialized staff, and created classrooms that are accessible and welcoming for everyone. This means that children who once might have ridden buses across great distances to access services can now attend school in their own community. They sit in classes with siblings and friends and are part of their local school. Amid this shift, SCOE still educates students, providing special education services to some of our most medically
vulnerable children. These students are supported by certificated school nurses and licensed vocational nurses employed by SCOE. In addition, the county office employs specialists in educating visually impaired students, and those who are deaf or hard of hearing. These instructors travel among multiple school sites throughout the county to provide instructional and technological support. SCOE also operates classrooms and programs at job sites for transition-aged youth, generally ages 18 to 22.
These programs teach career and independent living skills, helping students become as independent as possible and secure employment where they are fully integrated into their work site. The county office actively collaborates with the SELPA director, staff, and governing board to help ensure there is a continuum of educational services available to students with all types of learning needs. For more information on special education services in Sonoma County, visit the SELPA’s website at sonomaselpa.org.
