By Sara Beth Williams–
Questions remain after a private charter school once planning to relocate to Citrus Heights dropped those plans.
American River Collegiate Academy, which initially planned to build a new campus on Antelope Road, announced in 2023 new plans to relocate to a long-term campus in Citrus Heights for the 2024-25 school year.
According to a slideshow presentation in 2023, the academy planned to relocate from their current campus in Orangevale to a three-story office facility at 6060 Sunrise Vista Drive, located in Citrus Heights.
Those plans have not materialized.
The property management company for 6060 Sunrise Vista said American River Collegiate Academy’s plans for relocating were put on hold due to “funding issues.”
In an emailed statement, the city said a project at 6060 Sunrise Vista was never formally submitted by the charter school.
“Discussions exploring relocation between the city and American River Collegiate Academy occurred in 2023, but no plans were submitted,” the city said.
Robin Stout, superintendent of the Rocklin Academy Family of Schools, said in an email Thursday that the Academy “does not have any additional information to share than what we have shared previously.”
“Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful acquiring a facility in Citrus Heights. I’m happy to report that the majority of our American River Collegiate Academy families are residents of Citrus Heights,” Stout said, adding that the current permanent campus, located at — is on the border of Orangevale and Citrus Heights.
“We hope that we will continue to be an educational option for Citrus Heights families,” Stout said.
An architectural layout for the proposed new campus location shared in a May 10, 2023, newsletter showed proposed renovations for the first floor of the facility, which included swapping out existing windows for access doors, space for 23 classrooms, several breakout intervention rooms, a section for administration offices, and a multipurpose room and kitchen.
Rocklin Academy Family of Schools is celebrating 25 years this May, the school’s website shows. The family of schools includes Rocklin Academy, Rocklin Academy Gateway, Western Sierra Collegiate Academy, and American River Collegiate Academy. The Rocklin Academy Family of Schools states that “parent participation is key to student success.” 2025-2026
American River Collegiate Academy was also named best in “Schools, Education & Training” at the 2025 Best of Citrus Heights award ceremony in the fall of 2025.
“This honor is a testament to the dedication of our amazing students, the hard work of our caring faculty and staff, and the unwavering support of our wonderful families and community,” the academy posted on social media following the ceremony.
American River Collegiate Academy is located at 7755 Hazel Ave. in Orangevale.
