Image via Kepler | Neighborhood School The school is launching a $1.5 million to transform its playground in Downtown Fresno.

Kepler Neighborhood School, a TK-8 charter school in downtown Fresno, has secured a five-year charter renewal while also launching a $1.5 million playground project with the goal of strengthening both the campus and Downtown Fresno community, the school announced at the end of February.

The Fresno County Board of Education voted 5-0 in favor of renewing the public charter school’s authorization through June 30, 2031, which school leaders described as an important turnaround after years of financial and academic challenges.

The campus, located at 1462 Broadway St., had previously faced potential closure after the Fresno Unified School District denied its charter renewal in 2017 due to academic performance concerns.

The county granted the school conditional approval the following year, which helped give school administrators time to stabilize operations and improve student outcomes.

The latest renewal reflects the result of those efforts.

“None of this would have been possible without the dedication of our students, families and staff, and the unwavering support of our authorizing partners who believed in us,” said Superintendent and CEO Rickie Dhillon.

Dhillon joined Kepler as chief business officer before becoming superintendent in 2023. She said the leadership team prioritized financial stability before moving its attention to academic improvement.

“When I was brought on board, the first task was fiscal stabilization,” Dhillon said. “You have to have funding and strong financial footing before anything else.”

After strengthening and stabilizing finances, administrators focused on building an experienced leadership team and improving instruction. Staff also looked at the school’s demographics to get a better understanding of the community needs and attendance patterns.

Dhillon said the approach helped improve school performance on the state’s accountability dashboard, which “provides parents and educators with meaningful information on school and district progress so they can participate in decisions to improve student learning,” according to the California School Dashboard website.

Board President Jon Forrest Dohlin said the renewal shows the team effort behind the school’s turnaround paid off.

“Charter renewal is more than a milestone — it is recognition of the dedication and hard work of the administration, teachers, staff, families and students at the Kepler Neighborhood School community,” he said. “It reflects the extraordinary progress happening in our classrooms and allows us to keep raising the bar for equity, academic excellence, and student success.”

With the charter secured, Kepler is moving forward with a $1.5 million playground construction project that will serve both students and the surrounding neighborhood. The upgraded playground will be both an educational resource and a gathering place for the community.

Dhillon said the project aligns with the ongoing revitalization efforts in Downtown Fresno, where approximately 85% to 90% of Kepler students live.

“We are hoping that there will be more projects, housing projects, that are coming to downtown, because downtown, honestly, is a safe place,” Dhillon said.

Kepler also partners with community organizations and local colleges, including programs with Fresno State that bring interns and educational support for students.

Looking ahead, Dhillon said leadership plans to strengthen community ties encouraging executive staff to serve on nonprofit boards and remain active in civic organizations while also preparing the next generation of Fresnans.

“At the end of the day, our students are their families’ most precious assets,” she said. “Our goal is to help them grow into the best citizens and future leaders of Fresno.”