New Pacific School, a new school initiative by Pacific Charter Institute (PCI) is a local, small-school approach to holistic TK-12 education for every child.
Paul Keefer, MBA, Ed.D.
Executive Director
Dr. Paul Keefer bridges the business and educational worlds through his vast experiences in both. As a charter school leader, Dr. Keefer is able to couple the experiences from UPS and dealings with Fortune 500 companies and apply them systematically to scholars in public education that are continually left behind. Dr. Keefer co-founded Pacific Charter Institute in 2005 and works with a team supporting six charter schools, including New Pacific School Roseville, New Pacific School Rancho Cordova, Rio Valley Charter School, Heritage Peak Charter School, Sutter Peak Charter Academy, and Valley View Charter Prep. The six schools serve over 3,000 scholars collectively in sixteen counties with an operating budget of $40 million. In addition to leading Pacific Charter Institute as the Executive Director, Dr. Keefer was elected to the Sacramento County School Board of Education in June 2018 for a four-year term representing Arden-Arcade, Carmichael, College Glen, Antelope, North Highlands, and Sacramento (Area 3). Dr. Keefer was reelected in 2022
Paul and his wife, Elizabeth, have three children and live in Carmichael. He is a board member for the Rotary Club of Sacramento and is a volunteer for Carmichael HART Student Buddy Program. Paul is an avid cyclist and hiker and recently hiked 140 miles of the John Muir Trial.
Eric Garber, M. Ed.
Principal, Roseville Campus
For more than two decades, as a site administrator, curriculum coordinator, instructional coach, teacher, advisor and coach, Eric made an unwavering effort to empower young scholars to find their passions, build confidence, think critically and love to learn. Eric taught in schools in Southern California and Berlin, Germany for ten years before moving to Sacramento to help build an innovative secondary school in partnership with UC Davis and Cal State Sacramento. After teaching at the new school for seven years, he continued to learn about educational systems and environments through his work as an instructional coach in Twin Rivers USD before becoming a site administrator at a middle school. Eric views his new role as principal at New Pacific School as an important next step to building a model of schooling that is centered around the needs and learning goals of each student. In addition to leading the start of the new school, he is currently completing his doctoral degree in educational leadership and policy at UC Davis.
Nancy Bean
Principal, Rancho Cordova Campus
Nancy Bean joins us with over 20 years in California education, most recently as the Site Lead for PCI’s Heritage Peak Charter School’s Homeschool Guild, a program serving over 330 diverse students. As a founding New Pacific School principal, her leadership brings experience and wisdom from working with the individualized needs of TK-12th grade students and their families. Nancy graduated from UCSB with a BA in Psychology and German and went on to earn her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential from Cal State Hayward. She also has completed VPSS Professional Development courses in Math, Science, and English Language Arts. Nancy has gained a professional and personal following as an expert in personalized learning in the extended Sacramento area.
Pacific Charter Institute
An Experienced Partner Dedicated to the Success of All Children
In response to the growing youth mental health crisis, New Pacific School was developed by caring and experienced educators at Pacific Charter Institute utilizing the latest research on scholar learning and well-being.
Established in 2005, PCI is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public benefit corporation committed to serving scholars of all academic abilities, with a strong track record of working successfully with both homeschooling families and at-risk youth.
The PCI governing board members represent community colleges, real estate, STEM, finance, and non-profit leadership. In addition to an exemplary Board of Directors, PCI also has an exceptional leadership team with over 80 years of combined experience.
PCI currently partners with six school districts in Northern California to serve almost 3,500 scholars in grades TK-12. PCI is a large, stable organization with over 300 employees and an operating budget of over $33 million, including $9 million in reserves. PCI adheres to the same standards for teacher credentialing, state testing, accountability, and transparency as a public school district.
PCI is dedicated to moving scholars in mindset and outcome to the college and career of their choice. PCI graduates have pursued higher education at the University of California, West Point, and various other top institutions. Additionally, scholars at PCI have successfully competed in Project Lead the Way competitions, Poetry Out Loud, and other local and national competitions.