BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — After their first successful year of Pre-K-8th grade. The charter school CAAT plans on expanding their grade levels, adding an extra class to each grade and taking on a new challenge in high school.
- You can still enroll in their 2025-2026 school year by visiting their website.
- CAAT prides themselves on offering your child high quality, and engaging education in the heart of Bakersfield at no cost.
- The high school expansion will be a dual enrollment learning experience. Allowing kids to start their college journey with general education credits.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The Central Academy of Arts and Technology are once again opening their doors to the community. Starting next school year they will be adding one class per grade level to allow more students to embrace their arts side. I'm Eric J. Dockery your Bakersfield neighborhood reporter. On top of adding a class to every grade level K-8 they are taking on a new challenge in high school.
CAAT says they pride themselves on offering your child high quality and engaging education in the heart of Bakersfield at no cost. They add they are the first free public charter school for Bakersfield families.
Joanna Kendrick Principal and Superintendent of CAAT said "To many of our students aren't excited when they wake up in the morning to go to school. So part of what we set out to do was to create a school that you felt excited to go to. When students are engaged and excited to be here, then doing a really difficult math problems becomes not so difficult because they want to be apart of the community."
Charles Bratcher 5th grader said "I Like the learning plan here its really complicated. I just feel like it's just better here because the teachers are so loving, caring, and kind."
Students tell me they have more freedom to embrace their artsy side and are comfortable to do it, because everyone is here for the same reason.
Lucia Atncio 7th grader said "This school is very mellow compared to other schools like drama wise the kids are very friendly. I don't have nay trouble making friends. Bullying isn't a problem just don't cause anything and you'll be good."
Bronson Mitchell 7th grader said "I think it's cool that we have a slide and an arcade. The arcade room has Mario bros and a bunch of other arcade games for all of us to play when we are on break."
The school wants to add in high school and allow that class to be the first to transition to college. Offering students majority of their general education classes so they can be a step ahead when they enter the university.
Paislee Coble 8th grader said "When I came into CAAT I had horrible grades… like awful. After my first month here I started to see A's & B's. Honestly the teachers are the reason, this school has a much more personalized learning plan compared to your average public school."
"Our high schoolers will take dual enrollment classes through community colleges and cal state. What they are doing is whittling away at those general ed requirements when they get into college. Our plan and our belief is that opportunity means everybody is competitively prepared to go to a four year university." Said Kendrick
If you are a resident in Kern County but not in Bakersfield, the school wants you to know they accept residents from all over the county to provide that experience.
If you are interested in registering your student for the 2025-2026 school year, open enrollment is going on now. Act fast spots are filling quickly. For 23ABC I'm Eric J. Dockery your Bakersfield neighborhood reporter.
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