Charter Schools in Oregon

Law:   Passed in 1999

Rank:   16th strongest of the nation's 40 charter laws

CER Grade:   B

Schools:   25

Students:   2,107

OPPOSITION FIZZLE: Charter school opponents were unsuccessful in a petition drive to repeal the state's current charter school law. Proponents of the initiative garnered less than half of the 66,786 signatures required to qualify the initiative for the November ballot. Although many states consistently strengthen their charter laws through similar methods, no state has ever repealed its charter school law. CER Newswire, July 25, 2000

RESCUE: Oregon's charter law came to the rescue of the Santiam Canyon School District in the heart of the Oregon timber communities when the last remaining public school there was about to be closed. Instead two communities created the Detroit Lake Charter School rather than have their children face a 36 mile round trip bus ride. The school is built around the Core Knowledge sequence. Flexibility in spending allows the purchase of part time services from the superintendent of the neighboring Scio School District and other innovations are helping them to save money in the long run and still have a school. CER Monthly Letter, September 2000.
THE REAL McCOY: The McCoy school has become Oregon's first approved charter school. The school, run by Becky Black, has, for several years, taken in failing and troubled students under contract with the Portland school district. However, when Black announced that she wanted to go charter, she met with some resistance, which was finally resolved after several months of negotiations with the school board. CER Newswire, January 10, 2000

Links to Oregon Charter School Websites .

Center for Educational Change
3957 E. Burnside
Portland, OR 97214-0201

Contact: Richard Meinhard, Director
Tel: 503-234-4600
Fax: 503-234-4360
Email: edcenter@teleport.com

Oregon Charter School Service Center 9498 SW Barbur Blvd., Suite 302 Portland, OR 97219	Tel: 503-244-7523 Email: rob@oregoneducation.org
Website: http://www.oregoncharters.org

Oregon Department of Education 255 Capitol St NE Salem, OR 97310-0203	Tel: 503-378-3569 Fax: 503-373-7968
Website: http://www.ode.state.or.us/cifs/charterschools/index.htm