Kawana Elementary School is on its way to becoming a K-8 charter school with a focus on math and science, according to Bellevue Superintendent Tony Roehrick.

The move is being made to address students’ need to master algebra by ninth grade and to take the school, which is in Year 5 sanctions under the federal No Child Left Behind law, a new direction, Roehrick said.

“When you get into Year 5, and Kawana was in Year 5, one of the things you have to do is (create an) alternate governance and (developing a) charter is one of the options under alternate governance,” he said. “We decided it would be a good option. And so that is what we are doing.”

 In 2009, Kawana students posted a 54-point gain in the state’s Academic Performance Index, one of the highest point gains in Sonoma County.

Principal Jesse Escobedo will remain at the helm of the Moraga Drive campus.

The district has been working on the application for months and Roehrick expects the school board to approve the plan at its Aug. 16 meeting.