The Medford School Board approved a three-year contract Tuesday for the school district's first charter school.
The Madrone Trail Public Charter School, also Jackson County's first Waldorf-style school offered free to the public, will debut this fall with 72 pupils in grades kindergarten through 2.
The Madrone Trail Board plans call for adding a grade each subsequent year through the eighth grade.
Enrollment is open to any child residing in Oregon, but under the contract, Medford district residents will be given priority for admission. Pre-enrollment and parent orientation sessions run Friday through March 5.
"We think it will succeed and have confidence that for the children whose needs have not been fulfilled in a traditional school that their needs may be fulfilled in this charter school."
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"I believe it will not be the children in our district being served," Penland said.
During negotiations with Madrone Trail organizers, Penland had called for strict and detailed contract language to ensure the charter school would not detract from enrollment at other district schools.
As a result, Madrone Trail's approval is conditional with one requirement being that no other district schools lose a significant number of pupils to the charter school. Enrollment is the basis for how much the state funds each school district and is a sore spot for most Oregon districts seeing losses in the student body.
Madrone Trail organizers said much of the interest in the school has come from the parents of children in private schools or receiving home instruction and demand so far seems to be high within the Medford district.
"I think the district will see a rise in confidence in public education from those families and will bring them back into the district," said Daniele Anderson, a Madrone Trail board member.
Madrone Trail's funding will come through the district from the state with 80 percent going to the charter school and 20 percent slated for the district. In the case of out-of-district pupils, 10 percent of the Medford district's share would go to a student's home district.
Under state law, districts are generally required to sponsor charter schools as long as the charter does not damage the quality of education the district offers.
Under the contract, charter school organizers and the board reached a compromise on standardized testing, which generally conflicts with the Waldorf philosophy. The kindergartners at the school will be exempt from the testing, while first-and-second graders will take the same tests that other pupils in the district take to try to measure their reading ability.
Charter school faculty members will be responsible for aligning curriculum to the state's content standards, seen a key step toward meeting the goals of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. In the third grade, pupils at the charter school will be subject to the same state standardized tests as pupils in traditional public schools.
Waldorf education, a brainchild of Austrian scientist Rudolf Steiner, 1861-1925, is designed to follow the natural development of children and is seen by some as more holistic. It focuses on creativity, movement, the arts and themes of nature.
Madrone Trail will have three teachers and a director during its first year of operation.
The charter school is still seeking a space to operate and is considering a trio of possibilities, including the former Westside School in the Medford district, which was most recently used as a Naval Center.
The Madrone Trail Public Charter School's Web site is www.madronetrail.org.
Reach reporter Paris Achen by calling 541-776-4459 or pachen@mailtribune.com.
