Manzanita Charter Middle School, serving the 6th, 7th and 8th grades, is a small parent cooperative middle school with a strong commitment to excellence in academics and the arts taught within a safe, secure and nurturing community. Manzanita is a family cooperative. That means that the school's parents and families collaborate to ensure the needs of the community are met on a daily basis. Parents serve on the Board of Directors, work in the classroom, chaperone on field trips, supervise during lunchtime, clean the school facilities and translate at meetings.

Manzanita was founded in 2000 in Richmond California, became a California Distinguished School in 2005, a California Certified Charter School in 2007, and was voted Best Public Charter School in Contra Costa County in 2012. In 2013-2014 29% of Manzanita students were English Language Learners and 80% of students participated in the Free & Reduced Lunch program.