GALS LA Awarded $750K Federal Grant to Support Expansion, Heightened Enrollment Demand
Girls Athletic Leadership School Los Angeles (GALS LA) is thrilled to announce it has been awarded a $750,000 award from the Public Charter Schools Grant Program (PCSGP). This federally funded program is administered in California by the California Department of Education (CDE) on behalf of the United States Department of Education.
Since 2016, GALS LA has served the San Fernando Valley with a high-quality, all-girls, movement-based middle school education. The school’s new independent campus in Van Nuys opened in 2024, and the surge in demand that followed has led GALS to plan a growth from 185 to 330 students over the next three years. This year the school is already enrolling 220 students, outpacing earlier expectations.
The PCSGP grant will be used to prepare teachers, strengthen facilities, and equip classrooms to support increased student enrollment. In addition, the funding will enable key campus improvements, including enhanced security measures and expanded outdoor resources to ensure a safe, nurturing environment.
“Families are responding to our unique model—a school built for girls’ leadership, wellness and academic excellence,” GALS LA Executive Director Vanessa Garza said. “We’re grateful for the PCSGP funding, which gives us the capacity to grow with confidence and continue delivering on our mission.”
GALS LA is the first and only school in Los Angeles County to be made entirely of recycled shipping containers which would have otherwise gone to the landfill. The school’s sustainable practices also employ rainwater pump irrigation, LED lights in all classrooms, and a student-run garden facility.
Six other California schools were selected as recipients of the 2024-25 grant, including Yu Ming Charter School, California Republic Leadership Academy Yorba Linda, Polytechnic Academy, Scholarship Prep – San Bernadino County, Method Summit Academy and Unbound Stockton Community.
GALS LA is the only public all-girls school in the San Fernando Valley, and its school body is compromised almost entirely of students of color (96%) and students who are from low-and-moderate income families (88%). GALS LA’s curriculum is grounded in academics, athletics and social and emotional learning, integrating a rigorous college prep model which outperforms local schools in math and reading. The school is still enrolling for its 2025-26 academic year.
California’s State Board of Education was awarded $93 million in federal PCSGP funds for 2024-29, which is distributed in subgrants to assist the expansion of high-quality charter schools and the development and operations of newly established charter schools.
