èßäÊÓƵ

Charter èßäÊÓƵs are public èßäÊÓƵs that are intended to provide innovative programs with specific educational philosophies and/or delivery models that offer additional options for èßäÊÓƵ and families within the public èßäÊÓƵ system.  Charter èßäÊÓƵs are 501(c)3 organizations that enter into a contract with èßäÊÓƵ for sponsorship and they maintain a high level of autonomy in exchange for increased accountability.  Charter èßäÊÓƵs are governed by Oregon Revised Statute (ORS) 338.

PPS is responsible for oversight and monitoring of all charter èßäÊÓƵs sponsored by the district.  PPS collects required annual deliverables, monitors financial stability and student performance, and ensures that the charter èßäÊÓƵ is compliant with law and the contract.  Additionally, PPS provides support and partnership to charter èßäÊÓƵs in a variety of ways – technology support, monthly directors’ meetings, and professional development, to name a few.

Charter èßäÊÓƵ enrollment must be fair and equitable, and may only be limited by the age of the student, the grade of the student, and the space available.  No other admissions criteria may be used.  If a charter èßäÊÓƵ receives fewer applications than it has spots available in a particular grade/class, then all applicants should be admitted.  If the charter èßäÊÓƵ receives more applications than it has spots available in a particular grade/class, then it must conduct an equitable, blind lottery to determine enrollment for that class/grade. 

A charter èßäÊÓƵ may admit èßäÊÓƵ who reside in other districts, but priority must first be given to èßäÊÓƵ who reside in the district where the charter èßäÊÓƵ is located.  Charter èßäÊÓƵs may employ a sibling preference provision after a student has been enrolled for the prior èßäÊÓƵ year, but this is not mandatory.  Charter èßäÊÓƵs manage and run their own application cycles and lotteries.

Yes, charter èßäÊÓƵs are public èßäÊÓƵs and are free to attend. 

Yes.  Charter èßäÊÓƵs partner with the district for Special Education (SpEd), as the district is ultimately responsible for ensuring that èßäÊÓƵ in need of SpEd services receive them.  PPS provides SpEd learning center teaching staff, speech/language pathologists, and èßäÊÓƵ psychologists to charter èßäÊÓƵs, and charter èßäÊÓƵs work with these teachers to provide a comprehensive education for all èßäÊÓƵ. 

Charter èßäÊÓƵs are responsible for serving the needs of èßäÊÓƵ qualifying as English Language Learners.  This can be done in a variety of ways, but each charter èßäÊÓƵ must produce a plan that is: (1) based on a sound educational theory or legitimate experimental strategy; (2) implemented effectively, and (3) produces results that demonstrate that language barriers are being overcome.

Students who live anywhere in Oregon may attend PPS charter èßäÊÓƵs.  However, for the purposes of the admissions process, PPS resident èßäÊÓƵ receive first priority for enrollment.  If there are spaces left in a particular grade/class once all interested PPS èßäÊÓƵ have enrolled, then the charter èßäÊÓƵ may enroll èßäÊÓƵ who reside in other districts.

The vast majority of charter èßäÊÓƵs’ funding typically comes from Oregon’s State School Fund, which are public dollars allocated for education.  By statute, charter èßäÊÓƵs must receive a minimum of 80% of the per-student dollar amount for èßäÊÓƵ in grades K-8, and 95% for èßäÊÓƵ in grades 9-12.  Charter èßäÊÓƵs can apply for and receive grants and private donations, and can conduct fundraising activities.

This depends on the èßäÊÓƵ and the facilities that are available at the charter èßäÊÓƵ.  Charter èßäÊÓƵs are not required to provide sports.  However, èßäÊÓƵ who attend charter èßäÊÓƵs do have the right to participate in sports at their neighborhood èßäÊÓƵ.

Charter èßäÊÓƵs are required to ensure that transportation is not a barrier to enrollment of their èßäÊÓƵ.  Given that charter èßäÊÓƵ èßäÊÓƵ can come to the èßäÊÓƵ from all areas of the district, charter èßäÊÓƵs can employ a variety of options such as: organizing parent carpools, providing direct transportation, providing bus passes to families and/or èßäÊÓƵ, etc.  Charter èßäÊÓƵ èßäÊÓƵ are also eligible to ride on already-existing district bus routes, if the stops are convenient to the charter èßäÊÓƵ.

Most charter èßäÊÓƵs typically follow the PPS calendar, but they are not required to.  Some charter èßäÊÓƵs offer extended èßäÊÓƵ days or a longer èßäÊÓƵ year.

The birthday cut-off date for entry into Kindergarten in Oregon is September 1.  Each district in Oregon may choose to implement a process by which parents can apply to have their student(s) enter Kindergarten early, if the child’s birthday falls after this date.  Charter èßäÊÓƵs that offer Kindergarten may choose to adopt an early entry process, but this is not required.  

PPS charter high èßäÊÓƵs are required to be accredited.  Any charter èßäÊÓƵ not serving high èßäÊÓƵ may be accredited, but this is not required.