Charter academy can add grades

The Sisters School Board approved allowing a local charter school to offer education up to eighth grade. Currently, Sisters Charter Academy of Fine Arts offers education from kindergarten through sixth grade.

Superintendent of Schools Elaine Drakulich told the board at their meeting on June 3 that allowing the charter school to offer the upper grades would improve choice for parents and consistency for the kids. On the downside, "students leaving the charter school after sixth grade would be more likely to go to our middle school."

In a time of declining enrollment - such as now - those students represent income to the district.

Jeff Smith said that it was his experience that education has a history of grouping children by ages or by competency.

"We try to avoid the one-room school. If there are plenty of kids, they would be better off to concentrate in fewer grades (than more kids of different grades in one room)," Smith said.

Christine Jones responded to Smith that this type of concern was "not the domain of this board."

Tom Dumolt said, "Black Butte School is K-8. So this would be no different than the Black Butte School District."

The Black Butte School District in Camp Sherman offers K-8 education in a one-room school and then contracts for those students to be taught at Sisters High School.

Dumolt turned to Sisters High School Principal Bob Macauley and asked him how students from Black Butte School made that transition.

"Black Butte School students have a history of doing very well," Macauley told the board.

Mike Gould turned to Jeff Smith and said, "Jeff, I think some people think the one-room school house is their choice (to make). I am comfortable with it."

Gould thought the students moving to public school in ninth grade, when kids from Sisters Middle School also make a change to high school, was a good point of transition.

The board passed the request from Sisters Charter Academy for of Fine Arts to expand its charter from K-6 to K-8, four to one, with Jeff Smith opposed.