Banta, less than a decade ago, was a one-school district with 100 kindergarten through eighth grade students.

Today, Banta Unified is arguably the fastest growing school district in the Northern San Joaquin Valley.

It dedicated its fourth school Wednesday — Epic Academy – while construction crews less than a mile away were busy building River Islands High that will open in the coming year or so.

The high school sits on 46 acres on the corner of River Islands Parkway and Paradise Road.

“What can we do that’s more important than building schools?” asked Banta Unified School Board President Doug Diestler of those gathered in the River Islands Development community gym that’s shared with the Epic Academy. “We’re building a better community  . . . What we are really building is a greater future for us all.”

That future for the school-age children that will reside in 15,001 homes when the last nail is driven on  residential development in the planned community of River Islands at Lathrop is being overseen by what is considered one of the most unique partnerships in California public education.

Developer Cambay Group builds and pays for the schools being built on the former Stewart Tract that is the southeastern most manmade island in the Delta.

Banta Unified owns the schools that are built.

River Islands Academies — with a separate school board — operates the schools

Susan Dell’Osso, who serves as the River Islands CEO and is also president of the River Islands Academics school board, noted Banta Unified has been approached by districts up and down the state to share the unique model that has addressed school construction needs while also putting in place a charter educational program that works seamlessly with traditional public schools.

Brenda Scholl — River Islands Academies executive director and Epic Academy principal — told the gathering that the school is a place “where young people come to learn, to explore, and to be loved.”

The other schools are River Tech Academy, STEAM and a ninth grade class of future River Islands students currently housed at Epic Academy.

The ninth grade program was opened so those River Islands students who had graduated eighth grade didn’t have to travel outside the district to West High in Tracy while the high school is being built.
Banta is a 158-year-old district that unified several years ago.

It has one campus in Banta for K-8. High school students attend West High within the Tracy Unified School District.

Ground broke on Epic Academy on May 15, 2021.

It opened on Aug. 15, 2022 with 420 TK through eight grade students and 113 ninth graders taught by 36 teachers.

The 13 acre campus has 63,832 square feet of classrooms, 181,610 square feet of landscaping, two soccer fields, four outside sports courts, six covered shade strictures, 2 different age group playgrounds, 238 trees and a community gym.

The gym is owned by River Islands Development.

A shared use arrangement allows for the gym to be rented for community events through the development company.

It also allowed a larger gym to be built that can easily accommodate 1,000 parents and students for school events.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com