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Board renews Jane Goodall Environmental Middle School charter; trustees discuss capacity and transportation
Summary
The board voted unanimously to renew the Jane Goodall Environmental Middle School charter after a staff presentation on the school’s environmental, field‑based curriculum and statewide dissemination work.
The board voted unanimously to renew the charter for Jane Goodall Environmental Middle School (JGEMS), citing sustained program outcomes, field‑based learning and long‑standing community partnerships.
Jay (JGEMS executive director) and Doug (JGEMS staff) presented slides describing the school’s environmental science and project‑based learning model and its community partnerships with organizations including the Department of Environmental Quality, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Oregon Zoo Foundation. The presenters highlighted a statewide dissemination grant from the Oregon Department of Education and described the school’s efforts to share curriculum with educators beyond the district.
Director questions focused on capacity, equity and transportation. JGEMS staff said the school currently enrolls one section per grade (grades 6–8) with 33 students per class and that the program historically has not scaled larger without changing the model. The presenters said the greatest barrier to diversifying the student population is transportation; they described parent carpools and outreach to fifth‑grade families to increase applications from across the district. Presentation materials also noted the Diacre College Education Fund has provided teacher grants totaling about $650,000 over the past decade to support dissemination activities.
District transportation staff said routes and services could be explored to support charter students but that cost and reimbursement rules would need further review; the transportation director said roughly 70% of routine transportation costs are reimbursed and adding charter stops would require additional cost discussion.
The motion to renew was made by Director Prezzi and seconded by Director Harnish; trustees approved the renewal by unanimous vote. After the vote, JGEMS leaders announced Jane Goodall would visit for the school’s 25th anniversary and deliver a public lecture on April 10.
Why it matters: The renewal preserves an established district‑authorized charter program that specializes in environmental science and notable community partnerships; trustees asked board staff to continue oversight of access and transportation issues.
Ending: The renewal passed unanimously; staff and JGEMS leaders will continue to work on outreach and transportation options to increase accessibility for families across the district.
