San Pasqual Academy's future
San Pasqual Academy, the county's 238-acre residential campus for foster youth off SR-78, is still operating, and the Board of Supervisors has not voted to close it. On May 20, 2026, the Board did not adopt a staff plan for a phased wind-down and asked for more engagement, with possible closure still part of the talks. The county posted a Request for Information on the campus's future on September 15, 2026. Responses closed at 5 p.m. Tuesday, October 13, 2026, and staff say they will bring the results to the Board in December 2026.
Explainer · facts checked October 8, 2026; Request for Information status rechecked October 14, 2026 · Updated · Corrections: email us
The short version
San Pasqual Academy is a 238-acre county campus off San Pasqual Valley Road (SR-78) where foster youth ages 12 to 19 live and go to school. The county says state and federal reforms that favor family homes have cut the number of youth placed there and made its model ineligible for foster care funding, so it now runs mainly on one-time local money. In May 2026, county staff recommended a phased wind-down. On May 20, 2026, the Board of Supervisors did not adopt that plan and asked for more engagement, with possible closure still part of the talks. The county posted a Request for Information on the campus's future on September 15, 2026. Responses closed at 5 p.m. Tuesday, October 13, 2026, and staff say they will bring the results to the Board in December 2026.
Right now
As of October 8, 2026, the Academy is still operating as a residential campus. The Board of Supervisors has not voted to close it. Details below.| What it is | A residential education campus for foster youth. The county calls it the first residential school in the U.S. created just for children in foster care. |
|---|---|
| Who it serves | Juvenile Court dependents ages 12 to 17 and non-minor dependents up to age 19 |
| Address | 17701 San Pasqual Valley Rd., Escondido, CA 92025-5301 (California Department of Education) |
| Size | 238 acres |
| Opened | October 24, 2001 |
| Managed by | County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency, Child and Family Well-Being Department |
| Licensed by | California Department of Social Services |
| School | On-site public high school run by the San Diego County Office of Education |
| Youth there | 42 living there (March 30, 2026) · 40 enrolled (April 2026) · licensed maximum 80 |
| Budget | $18,866,740 a year (adopted budget, per May 2026 board letter) · $19.2 million planned for FY 2026-27 (August 2026 budget sheet) |
| Next step | Request for Information results to the Board in December 2026 (responses closed October 13, 2026) |
Where it is
The California Department of Education lists the Academy's address as 17701 San Pasqual Valley Rd., Escondido, CA 92025-5301. On OpenStreetMap, the campus is on Academy Road, just off San Pasqual Valley Road (State Route 78). It is east of San Pasqual Battlefield State Historic Park.
Rancho San Pasqual and the Ranchos at Vistamonte are to the west-northwest. In a straight line, the campus is about 3.4 miles east-southeast of Vistamonte, measured from Vistamonte Glen. It is about 4 miles east-southeast of Dos Osos Golf Club in Rancho San Pasqual, and about 2 miles east of the Battlefield park.
By road along SR-78, the trip is longer. We calculated these distances from OpenStreetMap coordinates. They are estimates, not published figures.
| Address | 17701 San Pasqual Valley Rd., Escondido, CA 92025-5301 |
|---|---|
| Access | Academy Road, off San Pasqual Valley Road (SR-78), per OpenStreetMap |
| From Vistamonte | About 3.4 miles east-southeast, straight line (estimate) |
| From Rancho San Pasqual | About 4 miles east-southeast of Dos Osos Golf Club, straight line (estimate) |
| From the Battlefield park | About 2 miles east, straight line (estimate) |
How we got here
Opening and policy changes
- October 24, 2001
San Pasqual Academy opens. The date comes from a 2005–06 San Diego County Grand Jury report. County materials say it opened in 2001.
- FY 2009-10
The Academy's peak year: 195 youth served during the year, each counted once.
- October 11, 2015
California's Continuum of Care Reform Act (Assembly Bill 403) is signed into law. The county says it favors home-based placements with resource families and reduces the use of group care.
- February 9, 2018
The federal Family First Prevention Services Act is signed into law.
- August 17, 2018
The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) approves the program statement for a three-year pilot at the Academy, set for December 1, 2018 to December 31, 2021. The pilot came out of talks on keeping the Academy's program within Continuum of Care Reform rules.
- February 8, 2021
CDSS tells the county the pilot will end early, on October 1, 2021. It says the Academy's education-based residential program does not meet foster care requirements under the federal act and Continuum of Care Reform.
- March 16 – May 3, 2021
At the Board's direction, the county asks CDSS for an extension. CDSS grants it on May 3, with conditions. The Academy may operate under a group home license through June 30, 2022.
- January 25, 2022
The Board of Supervisors approves actions to turn the Academy into a multipurpose "continuum of care" campus serving youth in foster care.
- August 29, 2022
Rite of Passage Adolescent Treatment Centers and School, Inc. is selected as the Academy's new service provider, according to the county's November 2025 board letter.
- October 25, 2022
The Board authorizes competitive solicitations for a Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Program (STRTP) and a Transitional Housing Program on the campus. Rite of Passage is later selected to run an integrated STRTP there.
The county's review begins
- November 18, 2025
Board of Supervisors, Item 24, votes 5-0 (motion by Supervisor Desmond, second by Supervisor Aguirre). It directs staff to gather input on how best to serve foster youth, make full use of the campus and keep foster youth programs financially sustainable. Staff are to return in 180 days.
- January – March 2026
First round of engagement, run with the Children's Initiative: 13 virtual and in-person sessions with more than 270 participants, plus a community survey with 184 respondents (the August 18 memo says 185).
- February 3 & March 3, 2026
The county holds two virtual community meetings on Zoom.
- March 30, 2026
The first community survey ("Design the future") closes. That day, 42 youth live at the Academy, including 31 at the on-site high school, 3 at off-site high schools and 7 at off-site middle schools.
- April 16, 2026
The staff proposal goes to the county's Child and Family Strengthening Advisory Board as an informational item.
The Board's decision and a second round
- May 18, 2026
The San Diego County Board of Education publishes Resolution No. 2026-20. It opposes the county staff recommendation for a phased wind-down. The County Office of Education runs the Academy's on-site school.
- May 20, 2026
Board of Supervisors, Item 35 (on the May 19 agenda, heard May 20). Staff had recommended a planned, phased wind-down. The Board did not adopt it. On a 4-0 vote (motion by Supervisor Desmond, second by Supervisor Anderson; Supervisor Lawson-Remer absent), it directed staff to do three things.
(1) Return with a high-level plan for the campus, including an initial vision for uses such as transitional-age housing for former foster youth. (2) Keep engaging each youth and their advocates, including CASA volunteers, with possible closure included in those discussions, and report back within 90 days. (3) Give a status update on the overall transition of the Academy and possible campus uses within 12 months, and return with recommendations within 18 months or sooner.
- Early July 2026
About 39 Academy youth meet one-on-one with their social workers to give input on the Academy's future.
- July 15–22, 2026
Four community meetings, about 246 attendees in all: July 15 at the Child and Family Well-Being Office, 8965 Balboa Ave., San Diego (37 participants); July 17 at the North Inland Live Well Center, 649 W. Mission Ave., Escondido (68); July 20 on Zoom (81); July 22 on Zoom (60).
- July 28, 2026
Three voluntary small-group sessions with 8 Academy youth (2 seniors, 3 juniors, 3 sophomores). CASA representatives from Voices for Children are present.
- July 31, 2026
A second online survey on the county's engagement page closes with 83 responses.
- August 13, 2026
A hybrid meeting for Academy alumni and other former foster youth, at the Child and Family Well-Being Office in San Diego and on Zoom. About 10 people attend in person and 20 online.
- August 18, 2026
County staff send the Board a 90-day update memo, with an August 14 engagement summary attached. The memo says a Request for Information will open in fall 2026, results will go to the Board in December 2026, and recommendations will follow in fall 2027.
- August 31, 2026
County News Center reports on the summer engagement round and the coming Request for Information.
- September 15, 2026
The county opens Request for Information No. 13371 on its BuyNet procurement portal. It asks organizations for strategies for the future of the Academy and its campus.
- September 23–25, 2026
A virtual Industry Day for possible respondents (September 23, 9 to 11:30 a.m.). In-person campus visits are offered at 10 a.m. on September 24 and September 25.
- October 13, 2026
Request for Information No. 13371 closes at 5 p.m. Responses could be uploaded to BuyNet or sent by email. Staff say they will bring the results to the Board in December 2026. As of Wednesday, October 14, 2026, the county had not publicly said how many responses it received.
Where it stands now
Status as of October 8, 2026
The Academy is still operating as a residential campus, and the Board of Supervisors has not voted to close it. On May 20, 2026, the Board did not adopt the staff recommendation for a phased wind-down. It directed continued engagement with possible closure included, a high-level plan for the campus, a status update within 12 months and recommendations within 18 months or sooner. Request for Information No. 13371 was posted September 15, 2026. Update, October 14, 2026: the response period closed at 5 p.m. Tuesday, October 13, 2026, according to the county's BuyNet portal. Staff say they will bring the results to the Board in December 2026.Youth on campus
The county's latest published headcounts are 42 youth living at the Academy on March 30, 2026, and 40 foster youth voluntarily enrolled as of April 2026. In early July 2026, about 39 youth living at the Academy took part in one-on-one meetings, according to the county's August 14 engagement summary. The budget assumes the maximum licensed capacity of 80 youth. The county reports 77 youth placed in FY 2001-02, 195 served in the peak year of FY 2009-10, and 49 placed in FY 2024-25. It says more than 1,000 foster youth have lived there over 25 years.
Why placements fell
The county says federal and state law now focuses on keeping children in family homes and reducing group care. As more foster youth live with relatives, fewer qualify for the Academy. In FY 2024-25, 555 youth in county care were ages 12 to 17. Of them, 379 (68%) lived with resource families such as kin, guardians or foster parents. Another 95 had higher-level care needs and were placed elsewhere, and 49 lived at the Academy.
How it is funded
The county says these policy changes made the Academy's education-based residential model ineligible for foster care funding. It now runs mainly on one-time local General Purpose Revenue each year. Limited federal funding is used only for salaries and benefits. The May 2026 board letter gives an adopted budget of $18,866,740 a year.
A county budget sheet from August 2026 shows $19.2 million planned for FY 2026-27, including about $11.7 million for Rite of Passage contracts. Actual spending was $17.2 million in FY 2024-25 and $16.3 million in FY 2025-26.
School and services
The on-site school is a fully accredited public school run by the San Diego County Office of Education. The California Department of Education lists it as an active Juvenile Court school for grades 9 to 12. The county reports that the Academy's graduation rate has held at 97% over the past decade. The county lists these partners: Rite of Passage, the County Office of Education, San Diego Center for Children, Access, Inc., and The Friends of San Pasqual Academy.
The campus itself
The Board asked for a high-level plan for the campus, including an initial vision for uses such as transitional-age housing for former foster youth. In May 2026, county staff wrote that if the program closed, the county would still have to secure and maintain the 238-acre campus until future uses are decided. They added that the county might need to pay for improvements to repurpose it.
What people told the county
In the first round (January to March 2026), participants suggested ways to enroll more youth and widen community use of the campus. The county's May board letter says they also indicated the Academy should close unless both placements and on-campus school attendance increase.
In summer 2026, youth in one-on-one meetings strongly preferred that the Academy stay open and largely unchanged. They asked for more reliable transportation, better staff communication, stronger safety measures, more activities, and more education, therapy and transition services. Recurring community themes were mental health and substance use supports, education and workforce development, agriculture programs, housing, justice and probation services, and family and kinship supports. The county says more than 600 people took part in its engagement sessions.
Not yet public
- How many youth are at the Academy in the 2026-27 school year, how many seniors graduated in June 2026, and whether new placements are being accepted.
- The exact date staff will present the Request for Information results, and whether it will be a Board agenda item or a written memo like the August 18 update.
- How many responses the Request for Information drew, and whether they will be made public.
- Whether any transition is under way now. The May 20 order asks for a 12-month update on the "overall transition of the Academy," but the county has not said plainly whether one has started.
- Which jurisdiction the campus land is in (City of San Diego or unincorporated county), and whether any future reuse would need a land-use permit or environmental review. We found no official source on these points.
What happens next
These dates come from the Board's May 20, 2026 order, staff's August 18, 2026 memo and the project phases on the county's engagement page.
| October 13, 2026 | Request for Information No. 13371 closed at 5 p.m. BuyNet lists its status as Closed. No extension or addendum was posted. |
|---|---|
| December 2026 | Staff return to the Board to present the Request for Information results and possible options. As of Wednesday, October 14, 2026, no agenda item has been posted. Legistar's next listed Board meeting is Tuesday, October 27, 2026, and its agenda is not yet available. The Board's 2026 calendar shows one December meeting over two days: December 8 (9 a.m., general legislative session) and December 9 (1 p.m., land use discussion items). Staff have not said whether the results will come as an agenda item or a written memo. |
| By about May 2027 | A status update to the Board on the overall transition of the Academy and possible campus uses, due within 12 months of the May 20, 2026 action. |
| Winter 2026 – fall 2027 | County project phase: Board Update #2, where staff present options from the engagement and the Request for Information for the Board to choose an approach. The county then issues a Request for Proposals and selects a service model. |
| Fall 2027 | Recommendations to the Board. The May 20 order requires them within 18 months (by about November 20, 2027) or sooner. Staff's August 18 memo targets fall 2027. |
| Fall 2027 – July 2028 | County project phase: Board Update #3, with recommendations on next steps for the campus. The county then prepares for the campus's future use and begins implementation. |
| Ongoing | Child and Family Well-Being staff give regular updates to the county's Child and Family Strengthening Advisory Board, especially at key milestones. |
How to follow it or comment
County project page
Engage San Diego County: San Pasqual Academy has news updates, Board reports and documents, key dates and an "Ask a Question" form. The form requires signing up with an email, screen name and password.
Contacts listed under "Who's Listening": Alfredo Guardado, Director, Child and Family Well-Being, and Norma Rincon and Aimee Zeitz-Gruber, Assistant Directors. The county's August 18 memo gives Guardado's office number, (858) 616-5815, for questions.
Board of Supervisors meetings
Agendas and minutes are on Legistar. Look for San Pasqual Academy items, such as the expected December 2026 return. The Board meeting calendar (amended October 6, 2026) lists a December 8–9 meeting.
Speak at a Board meeting
The county's Request to Speak portal lets you sign up to speak on a specific agenda item or during general public comment. Registration is required.
Advisory board
The Child and Family Strengthening Advisory Board page has agendas, meeting materials and a calendar. County staff say this board will get regular updates on the Academy.
County announcements
County News Center stories tagged San Pasqual Academy carry the county's official announcements. We also post updates on our News page.
For organizations
The county says Request for Information No. 13371 and the Industry Day materials are posted on its BuyNet procurement portal, which now lists the request as closed. Its end date was 5 p.m. Tuesday, October 13, 2026. The county describes the request as information and planning only. It is not a solicitation and does not commit the county to any contract.
San Pasqual Academy Q&A
Is San Pasqual Academy closing?
No decision has been made. The Academy is still operating, and the Board of Supervisors has not voted to close it. County staff recommended a phased wind-down in May 2026, and the Board did not adopt it on May 20. The Board's order says possible closure must be included in the ongoing discussions. Recommendations are due within 18 months of May 20, 2026, or sooner. Staff's August memo targets fall 2027.
Who lives at the Academy?
Foster youth: Juvenile Court dependents ages 12 to 17 and non-minor dependents up to age 19. The latest published county headcounts are 42 youth on March 30, 2026, and 40 enrolled as of April 2026. Its maximum licensed capacity is 80.
Why are fewer youth placed there?
The county says state and federal reforms now favor keeping children with families and reduce group care. As more foster youth live with relatives, fewer qualify for placement at the Academy. The county counts 77 youth placed in FY 2001-02, 195 served in the peak year of FY 2009-10 and 49 placed in FY 2024-25.
How is it paid for?
Mainly with one-time county General Purpose Revenue each year. The county says the Academy's model no longer qualifies for foster care funding. The May 2026 board letter gives an adopted budget of $18,866,740 a year; the county's August 2026 budget sheet plans $19.2 million for FY 2026-27.
What is the Request for Information?
Request for Information No. 13371 asked organizations for innovative, financially sustainable approaches for the Academy and its campus. The county says community feedback shaped it. It is for information and planning only. It is not a solicitation and does not commit the county to any contract. It was posted September 15, 2026, on the county's BuyNet portal and closed at 5 p.m. Tuesday, October 13, 2026. Staff say they will bring the results to the Board in December 2026.
Did the community want the Academy kept open?
The two rounds of input differed. In the January to March 2026 round, the county's May board letter says participants indicated the Academy should close unless both placements and on-campus school attendance increase. In summer 2026, youth strongly preferred that it stay open and largely unchanged. The county's August 31, 2026 news story says feedback from all groups showed strong interest in keeping it open with an expanded, trauma-informed model that could also serve other vulnerable populations.
How can I follow it or comment?
The county's engagement page has updates, Board documents and an "Ask a Question" form (sign-up required). If the results come to a Board meeting as an agenda item, you can sign up to speak through the county's Request to Speak portal. Staff's August update came as a written memo, not an agenda item. See How to follow it or comment for all links.
Where these facts come from
Checked October 7–8, 2026; the BuyNet listing for Request for Information No. 13371 and the Board's Legistar and meeting calendars were rechecked Wednesday, October 14, 2026. County documents were read in full, including the Request for Information's deadline and response instructions.
- County of San Diego — Engage San Diego County: San Pasqual Academy project page (last updated September 17, 2026)
- County of San Diego — San Pasqual Academy FAQs (accessed October 2026)
- County of San Diego — San Pasqual Academy key dates (accessed October 2026)
- County of San Diego — "Design the future" community survey page (closed March 30, 2026)
- County of San Diego — second community survey page (closed July 31, 2026)
- County of San Diego — San Pasqual Academy program page (last updated August 5, 2026)
- County of San Diego Board of Supervisors — board letter, "Initiate efforts to maximize resources at the San Pasqual Academy," Item 24 (Word document) (November 18, 2025)
- County of San Diego Board of Supervisors — Minute Order No. 24 (PDF) (November 18, 2025)
- County of San Diego — Family First Prevention Services Act overview (PDF) (June 1, 2022)
- County of San Diego Board of Supervisors — board letter, "Initiate transition of San Pasqual Academy," Item 35 (PDF) (May 19, 2026 agenda)
- County of San Diego Board of Supervisors — Minute Order No. 35 (PDF) (May 19, 2026 agenda; heard May 20, 2026)
- County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency — 90-day update memo to the Board (PDF) (August 18, 2026)
- County of San Diego Child and Family Well-Being Department — community engagement summary report, June–August 2026 (PDF) (August 14, 2026)
- County of San Diego — San Pasqual Academy budget sheet, FY 2026-27 planned (PDF) (August 2026)
- County News Center — "County to work with youth and community on future of San Pasqual Academy" (May 21, 2026)
- County News Center — "County gathers broad feedback to reimagine San Pasqual Academy" (August 31, 2026)
- County News Center — San Pasqual Academy tag page (accessed October 2026)
- San Diego County Office of Education — Board publishes Resolution No. 2026-20 on the planned wind-down (May 18, 2026)
- California Department of Education — California School Directory: San Pasqual Academy (accessed October 2026)
- San Diego County Grand Jury — 2005–06 report on San Pasqual Academy (Word document) (2005–06 term), for the opening date only
- County of San Diego Board of Supervisors — 2026 meeting calendar (amended October 6, 2026)
- County of San Diego Board of Supervisors — Legistar meeting calendar, agendas and minutes (accessed October 2026)
- County of San Diego — Request to Speak portal (accessed October 2026)
- County of San Diego — Child and Family Strengthening Advisory Board page (accessed October 2026)
- County of San Diego — BuyNet procurement portal (accessed October 2026)
- County of San Diego — BuyNet listing, "RFI - Reimagining San Pasqual Academy" (BPM013371) (end date October 13, 2026, 5 p.m.; listed as Closed; checked October 14, 2026)
- OpenStreetMap — map data used for the campus location and the straight-line distance estimates on this page (computed October 2026; not official figures)
Also on this site: valley news · schools · Rancho San Pasqual guide · Vistamonte guide · how we check facts
More valley issues, explained: Harvest Hills · the Dos Osos RV resort proposal · San Pasqual Battlefield park. Neighborhood guides: Rancho San Pasqual · Vistamonte.