The City of El Cajon's Planning Commission meeting on July 15, 2025, focused on the approval of a new charter school, Kidnu Academy, which aims to serve students from transitional kindergarten through second grade. The proposed school will be located at 1460 East Main Street, converting the first floor of an existing commercial office building into educational space for up to 70 students.

The project is CEQA exempt, meaning it does not require extensive environmental review due to its use of an existing facility. The school will operate from 8 AM to 3 PM, with some after-school programming until 6 PM. To manage traffic and ensure safety, student drop-off and pick-up times will be staggered at 30-minute intervals.

The site, previously operated by Sharp Healthcare, includes a two-story office building and has been designed to accommodate five classrooms, with four classrooms for 15 students each and one for 10 transitional kindergarten students. The project will also repurpose some parking spaces to create an outdoor recess area, reducing the total number of parking spaces from 67 to 48.

To enhance traffic flow and safety, the engineering services department proposed several public improvements, including flexible lane delineators to restrict left turns and additional red curbs along Oakdale Avenue to prevent drop-offs from adjacent streets. The existing vehicle gate will be closed during recess and physical activity times to ensure student safety.

The Planning Commission discussed the conditions of approval, which include maintaining normal operating hours, managing student drop-off and pick-up, and ensuring compliance with noise standards. The resolution also allows for future enrollment expansion, contingent on traffic studies and management plans approved by city engineering staff.

No public comments were received regarding the project, and staff recommended the Planning Commission adopt the resolution to approve the CEQA exemption and conditional use permit, emphasizing the project's compatibility with surrounding land uses and its potential benefits to the community.