Who We Are
The Manton Education Council (MEC) is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to keeping education and community space in our rural town of Manton, California. MEC formed in 2017, in response to the loss of education and community parkspace, the Manton School grounds. The Manton School grounds is a 17.45 acre parcel with a well, and 5” of deeded ditch system water. The town of Manton is facing a community crisis with the eminent sale of The Manton school campus, marking its 100th year in 2021. This space, directly in the heart of Manton, serves both Shasta & Tehama counties and provides the community's only playground, gymnasium, and field where our beloved Manton Apple Festival has occurred for the last 29 years.
A Little Background
The Antelope Elementary district took over ownership of the Manton school & all the property and water rights in 2013. The district has since closed the campus, and are now busing our 40 public school children out of town for education. Currently, our town has 86 children, of which roughly half are homeschooled. Recently, we have increased our child count to 97 with new families moving to Manton who were displaced by the Carr & Camp fires. We conducted an informal census in 2018, and we are undergoing another census currently.
In 2017, MEC started a free K-8 after school program to help bridge the gap between when the bus drops of children, and parents who work in town. Our program, Club Mustang, offers curriculum support and enrichment classes for both public school and homeschooled children. A large part of our program focuses not only on enriching the core curriculum studies but on husbandry, carpentry, agriculture, forestry, conservation, sustainability and the arts. Recently, we are turning our focus to gain partnerships with organizations, such as Sierra Pacific Industries, McConnell Foundation, UC Davis Natural Reserves Department and CSU Chico Museum Studies Department, to secure the school grounds as a public community learning center. Our vision is to lease out classroom space for a day-care center, small-private school, adult education program, museum studies program affiliated with CSU Chico, open gym hours for our teens, automotive classes for young adults, and exercise programs for senior citizens.
Please help us turn the Manton School Property into the Manton Community Learning Center!
The Manton Education Council (MEC) is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to keeping education and community space in our rural town of Manton, California. MEC formed in 2017, in response to the loss of education and community parkspace, the Manton School grounds. The Manton School grounds is a 17.45 acre parcel with a well, and 5” of deeded ditch system water. The town of Manton is facing a community crisis with the eminent sale of The Manton school campus, marking its 100th year in 2021. This space, directly in the heart of Manton, serves both Shasta & Tehama counties and provides the community's only playground, gymnasium, and field where our beloved Manton Apple Festival has occurred for the last 29 years.
A Little Background
The Antelope Elementary district took over ownership of the Manton school & all the property and water rights in 2013. The district has since closed the campus, and are now busing our 40 public school children out of town for education. Currently, our town has 86 children, of which roughly half are homeschooled. Recently, we have increased our child count to 97 with new families moving to Manton who were displaced by the Carr & Camp fires. We conducted an informal census in 2018, and we are undergoing another census currently.
In 2017, MEC started a free K-8 after school program to help bridge the gap between when the bus drops of children, and parents who work in town. Our program, Club Mustang, offers curriculum support and enrichment classes for both public school and homeschooled children. A large part of our program focuses not only on enriching the core curriculum studies but on husbandry, carpentry, agriculture, forestry, conservation, sustainability and the arts. Recently, we are turning our focus to gain partnerships with organizations, such as Sierra Pacific Industries, McConnell Foundation, UC Davis Natural Reserves Department and CSU Chico Museum Studies Department, to secure the school grounds as a public community learning center. Our vision is to lease out classroom space for a day-care center, small-private school, adult education program, museum studies program affiliated with CSU Chico, open gym hours for our teens, automotive classes for young adults, and exercise programs for senior citizens.
Please help us turn the Manton School Property into the Manton Community Learning Center!