Last school in Alsea converting to charter school

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) – A small school district in Western Oregon plans to convert its only school into a charter school.

The Gazette-Times reports (https://is.gd/rGKiYr ) the Alsea School Board voted for the switch last month, and will formalize its charter document next week.

Superintendent Marc Thielman says the change is driven by a desire to recruit more students from outside the district that’s southwest of Corvallis.

Charter schools are allowed to advertise using public money in a way traditional schools can’t, and are given more freedom to run buses into neighboring districts.

Thielman said bringing in just a handful of additional students would help Alsea, which had 140 students this school year.

Charter schools operate free from many state regulations, but must meet the same academic performance standards as traditional schools.