They say necessity is the mother of invention, and the Vineyard Academy embodies that phrase. During the COVID lockdown, many first-responder parents in the delta city of Brentwood were in a bind. Their children could not go to school, but they could not stay at home with them as they were essential workers.
These parents came together to find a solution in the way of an outdoor school, set in a local vineyard to comply with California COVID laws. From that start, the school has grown and moved into a shared space with a local church. With 18 full-time employees and 225 students from preschool to eighth grade, the Vineyard Academy is a success story born from the hardship of COVID.
The $6.1 million tax-exempt financing, issued in August 2024 by the California Enterprise Development Authority (CEDA), allowed the school to purchase the building from the Rock Church and lease the space back to them for their services on weekends. By purchasing the campus, the school will be able to act on plans, such as building a campus garden on site with intentions to donate the produce to local unhoused populations.
The Vineyard Academy provides not only an educational opportunity for the student body, but also a community benefit. The annual tuition rate of $6,250 is affordable, 10% of the students receive financial aid, and the school is investing and growing in a “distressed” community (i.e. enterprise or empowerment zone, redevelopment project area, or an area with high rates of poverty or unemployment).
CEDA was happy to support this burgeoning school as it flourishes within its community. To learn more about how CEDA can help finance non-profit projects in your community, reach out to Michelle Stephens or visit the CEDA website.