The Wonderful Company announced today that the Kern County Board of Education unanimously approved its second K-12^th Grade Wonderful College Prep Academy charter school in California’s Central Valley.  To be located in the community of Lost Hills, the new school will open its doors to K-2^nd Grade students, as well as preschoolers, in Fall 2017, followed by 3^rd-12^th Grades, with full build-out complete in time for the 2020-21 school year.     

"We are thrilled to have been unanimously granted our charter petition to open a Wonderful College Prep Academy in Lost Hills next fall,” said Noemi Donoso, head of Wonderful Education. “This school is yet another sign of The Wonderful Company’s and Lynda and Stewart Resnick’s commitment to this community and our sincere desire to ensure the children of Lost Hills have access to an outstanding academic program, opportunities and support that will put them on a successful path toward college and career."

The new charter school will offer students a nurturing, dynamic academic environment featuring a state-of-the-art science lab, robotics lab and library; Wonderful’s acclaimed Ag Prep career pathways program; the company’s robust college scholarship and support program; a focus on healthy eating with nutritious meals prepared on-site and served daily; and a special emphasis on health and wellness, the arts and athletics.  A centerpiece of the campus will be Lost Hills’ first high school, meaning local students will no longer have a 2-hour daily bus ride to the nearest high school in Wasco.

Founded in 2009, the company’s first charter school, located in Delano, CA, is a shining example of Wonderful’s dedication to academic excellence, as evidenced by the school’s recent state standardized test scores, which rank it as the #1 high school in Delano and among the Top 3 high schools in Kern County.  The school’s mission to prepare students for college has also proven successful with 100% of the Academy’s 2016 graduates enrolling in college, 70% of which are attending a four-year institution.  The first phase of the Academy’s beautiful new Preschool-12^th Grade campus complex opened its doors to students this fall, with completion of the four-phase project set for Fall 2019.  

The Wonderful College Prep Academy charter schools are part of Wonderful Education, a robust academic program for Central Valley youth that has already reached more than 55,000 students across 83 schools in 24 districts, and has awarded more than 1,500 college scholarships and 1,300 teacher grants.  Wonderful Education currently operates preschools in Avenal and Lost Hills; 29 summer camps every year; arts education for 4,000 students annually; parent engagement and education programs; and its innovative career pathways program, Wonderful Agriculture Career Prep.

The Wonderful Company, one of America’s foremost agriculture companies and a leading employer in California’s Central Valley, has a long-standing commitment to investing in the communities where its employees live and work.  Wonderful has directed more than $120 million in environmental technologies and sustainability research, and it invests $45 million in charitable giving, community development programs and education initiatives every year.  Now in its second year, the company has also developed its innovative Wonderful Health & Wellness program, which includes two new, free primary care clinics for employees and their dependents.

About The Wonderful Company

Headquartered in Los Angeles, The Wonderful Company is a privately held $4.0 billion global company dedicated to harvesting health and happiness around the world through its iconic consumer brands. The company’s 7,800 employees worldwide are dedicated to bringing consumers everywhere the freshest, most wholesome pistachios, almonds, citrus and pomegranates; bottling the finest water and wines; and creating colorful bouquets that are sure to touch the heart.

This commitment is reflected in the company’s market share: Wonderful Pistachios is America’s No. 1 tree nut brand and one of the top-selling salty snacks; Wonderful Halos is the No. 1 mandarin orange in America; POM Wonderful is the No. 1 100% pomegranate brand in America; FIJI Water is America's No. 1 premium bottled water brand; Teleflora is the No. 1 floral delivery service through local florists; and JUSTIN Wine has the No. 1 Cabernet Sauvignon in California. A 2016 Nielsen study evaluating the familiarity, quality, and momentum of more than 2,500 leading brands revealed that Wonderful Company products dominated the top 10 lists of consumers across all generations, more than any other consumer goods company.

To learn more about The Wonderful Company, its products and core values, visit www.wonderful.com, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.