EL DORADO HILLS, CALIFORNIA. The high school program at John Adams Academy in Lincoln will close at the end of the 2025–26 school year after academy officials determined the program is no longer financially sustainable. John Adams Academy is Northern California’s only tuition-free, TK-12 American Classical Leadership Education® charter school with campuses in El Dorado Hills, Lincoln, and Roseville.
The decision was finalized March 12 following months of discussion by the academy’s governing board. School leaders cited declining student retention in the upper grades and a projected budget deficit approaching $1 million as the primary reasons for the closure.
According to academy officials, the campus’s elementary and middle school programs remain strong. The TK-8 program currently maintains a waiting list of more than 600 students. However, enrollment in the high school grades has failed to keep pace, creating a widening financial gap.
Charter schools like John Adams Academy receive funding based largely on average daily attendance. When student numbers decline, revenue follows.
School leaders reported a significant drop in class sizes as students progressed through high school. Freshman classes typically averaged between 125 and 130 students, but those numbers steadily fell by the time students reached their senior year. In one example shared with the board, a freshman class of 128 students had fallen to just 56 by their junior year.
As a result, the high school program is projected to face a $950,000 deficit in the coming school year. Officials said the Lincoln high school would need roughly 400 students to operate sustainably, but the program currently serves just 124.
“To sustain a comprehensive high school program, we need enrollment levels that simply aren’t there right now,” academy founder Dean Forman told the board during discussions about the closure.
Students to Transfer to Roseville Campus
All 124 current Lincoln high school students will be guaranteed enrollment at the academy’s campus in Roseville, about 10 miles away.
School officials said consolidating the programs will allow the academy to maintain educational continuity while reducing operating costs. The consolidation is expected to save approximately $2.6 million in staffing expenses.
However, the announcement sparked strong reactions from parents and students who spoke during public board meetings. Several expressed concerns about transportation challenges and the loss of a tight-knit campus community.
Families said the Lincoln campus provided a smaller and more personal educational environment, which many students valued.
Lincoln Campus Will Become TK-8 Only
Following the closure, the Lincoln site will transition to a TK-8-only campus. The academy’s leadership emphasized that the change reflects financial realities rather than a lack of demand for the younger grades.
Forman indicated that a high school program could potentially return to Lincoln in the future if enough families demonstrate interest.
According to the academy, relaunching a high school would typically require between 350 and 400 intent-to-enroll commitments from families in the area.
For now, officials say the focus will be on strengthening the TK-8 program while supporting high school students through the transition to Roseville.
