Good day, CharterFolk.
Today we’re delighted to share a Contributor Column from Jared Austin, the Co-Founder & Superintendent/CEO, Kairos Public Schools in Vacaville, California.
We share a bio for Jared below.
Jared Austin is the Co-Founder and Superintendent/CEO of Kairos Public Schools, a mission-driven charter school organization located in Vacaville, California, focused on developing student leaders. With over 19 years of experience in public charter schools as a teacher, principal, and CEO. Jared has dedicated his career to creating student-centered learning environments that bring innovation, service to others, and excellence.
Kairos Public Schools has grown into a model of academic achievement and operational excellence, consistently recognized for its commitment to high standards, family engagement, and community partnerships. Jared’s work reflects a belief in the power of public school choice to meet the needs of today’s students.
Jared was appointed by the California State Board of Education to serve on the Advisory Commission on Charter Schools (ACCS) in 2017, 2020, and 2021. He also represents Solano and Contra Costa Counties on the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) Member Council, working collaboratively with leaders across the state to shape charter school advocacy and policy. Additionally, Jared serves on the Board of Directors for Charter Safe Insurance JPA.
On top of his work in K–12 education, Jared has served as an adjunct professor in the Educational Leadership department at Touro University, where he helps prepare and mentor future school leaders. Whether in the classroom, at the state capitol, or in boardrooms, Jared Austin remains a committed advocate for educational choices, always championing students, families, and the educators.
Creating the Future We Wish Existed: Why We at Kairos Public Schools Chose to Grow by Adding a High School
When I think about why we launched Kairos Public Schools’ new high school, our Luminary Academy. I don’t just think about educational policies or academic test scores, though we are certainly held accountable to them.
I think about the moments that shaped this vision. The eighth-grade promotion ceremonies where families pulled us aside and asked, “What’s next?” The parent who said, “We finally found a school where my child is excelling, now it ends?” The scholar who told us, “I grew so much here, but now don’t know where to go.”
Those conversations planted the seeds, seeds that rooted in our hearts. They reminded us that if we are truly committed to preparing scholars for an indeterminate future, we can’t stop at 8th grade. We must take the next bold step.
And so we did.
A Vision Born from Voice & Choice
Kairos Luminary Academy High School (KLAHS)l isn’t just a continuation of our success in TK–8. It’s our response to a bigger question:
What do young people really need from high school and beyond?
The answer wasn’t “more of the same.” Our scholars didn’t need more rows of desks, more standardized test prep, or more time in classrooms waiting for the school day to end.
They needed a future-ready model, one that mirrors college, career, and the hybrid workforce of today.
The seeds planted by our parents, scholars, and community members gave voice to the idea that the foundation we laid in TK–8 could not be our finish line. Our community envisioned a high school experience that would incorporate personalized learning pathways and reflect the uniqueness of our city, careers like public safety, biotech, and financial services.
We looked to other charter networks for inspiration, learning from innovative hybrid models at schools like Core Butte in Chico and Classical Academies in San Diego. Building and strengthening friendships along the way.
This work is personal. My wife, Leslie and I co-founded Kairos Public Schools not because we grew up wanting to open a school, but because we were local educators who wanted better options for our own children.
That desire resonated with our city and community.
Over time, our “why” has deepened. We saw the power of partnering with parents as co-educators. Now, we see the potential of every scholar in our academies. We get to see our mission operate in our halls, not just hang on our walls. We do the hard work of chartering and expanding a public school in California because we believe our mission is infinite.
This year, Kairos Public Schools has over 1,200 scholars on the waitlist. Those scholars deserve a voice and a choice. The need is real and in order to meet it, we must grow.
At Kairos, we’ve built a team driven by that same purpose. A team of educators who don’t just want to teach content, they want to develop young people to lead, serve, and innovate for the future.
We’ve also had to learn and unlearn a lot along the way. Launching a high school forced us to confront assumptions, traditions, perspectives and build new systems. It pushed us to move quickly and slow down when it mattered most. To invite scholars and families into the design process often while building the plane as we flew it.
And through it all, one question guided us:
How are we best serving young people?
Growth isn’t automatic, it’s intentional. So we didn’t start with buildings.
We started with a question:
How and why are we going to build a high school model our community doesn’t know or understand yet?
To answer it, we looked to our values:
- Innovation: Forward-thinking solutions and bold ideas that challenge the status quo and drive sustainable change in education.
- Flexibility with Accountability: We teach young people that autonomy and freedom come with great responsibility.
- Service to Others: What sets us apart from traditional district schools isn’t who or what we serve, it’s how we serve.
This year, we opened our new Sunflower Street campus in Vacaville and welcomed our first 9th and 10th graders. We’ll add 11th grade next year and 12th the year after, ultimately serving 400 scholars.
We’re keeping the school intentionally small to preserve our culture and ensure that every scholar receives personalized support. Starting small allows us to build a strong foundation, one that can grow with excellence and sustainability.
Across the country, people are asking:
Do we really need new schools? Do charter schools still matter?
Our answer is simple: Yes.
Our waitlist alone proves the desire and need for something different, an alternative to the traditional conveyor belt school model.
But we can’t just replicate outdated systems. We need to design for the future, not recreate the past.
Kairos Luminary Academy High School (KLAHS) is our innovative response. It’s proof that high school can be rigorous, hybrid, and college- and career-aligned and different from the status quo. Scholars attend classes 2–3 days a week, then flex their time to complete assignments, work, pursue internships, or serve their communities. Flexibility with great responsibility.
Charters like ours are proof that public education can be innovative, not just reactionary. That schools can evolve with their communities, not operate as islands within the community.
At a time when California’s legislative landscape is increasingly complex, the success of schools like ours is a reminder, when charter leaders are trusted to design flexibly and lead boldly, students win. Our growth isn’t just a school story, it’s a policy story about why public school innovation must remain protected and empowered.
A Call to Fellow Charter Leaders
We’re modeling for the next generation what it means to do hard things.
This work isn’t easy. We are still building the future of public education, one school at a time, with the goal of developing world changers and history makers. That means we model for the next generation how to embrace the hard work of making change.
If you’re wondering whether now is the time to launch something bold, I’ll tell you what I told our community:
If the need is there,
If the community desires it,
And if the mission is clear…
Then yes. This is a “Kairos” moment.
(Greek: An opportune moment in time)
We launched Kairos Public Schools because we were tired of waiting for someone else to build the school our kids deserve.
So we built it.
And if we can do it, so can you.
