History of Santa Rosa Academy
The school was founded by a group of teachers and administrators, Mrs. Badillo, Mrs. Miller and Mrs. McMullen included, who wanted to provide more educational opportunities for students in southwest Riverside County. At the heart of our inception is the dedication to developing the whole child. The founder’s philosophy is rooted in the belief that students not only deserve an excellent education, but a conscious development of good character, a sincere respect for a student regardless of past performance, social status or affiliation and a dedication to the principles of a democratic society through an education in civic responsibility and a commitment to patriotic ideals.
The charter was developed over several months and thoughtful consideration was given to the name of the school. As a tribute to the Santa Rosa Plateau, in the hills of west Murrieta, the name was chosen out of many selections of local, historical significance. The serene beauty of the plateau is seen in the actual picture used as our website banner, above.
Our mascot, the Ranger, was also chosen out of several hundred names and two years of discussion as to the importance of what we represent as a school community: responsible, dedicated, tough, a protector, one who maintains order on the “frontier.” While the Santa Rosa Plateau has its own Rangers whose duty is to protect and preserve the local park and open spaces for future generations, we too, see the symbol as one of great importance for our “Rangers;” dedicated to the protection and preservation of ideals.
We opened our doors in September, 2005, to fifty nine home schooled students and seven staff members and operated out of a garage while our newly leased offices were being built. How many of you would have signed up for a school that didn’t even have a home? Those first fifty nine were so committed that they became the foundation upon which our school was laid. Since then, we have grown to over 800 students and 55 staff members and anticipate another year of incredible growth. Our leased facilities now include over 20,000 square feet of space at Mount San Jacinto Community College and an additional 7 classrooms at our SRA West Campus.
The future is wide open. Our Strategic Plan includes developing partnerships with local businesses, historical societies and community members who would like to invest in our children’s future. We anticipate a future permanent site with 40 to 60 acres within the Menifee School District’s boundaries. Please consider partnering with us so that we may realize this vision for the children of Southwest Riverside County.