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Mitch Charter reports new free breakfast and lunch service, restorative‑justice trainings and expanded intervention supports
Summary
Mitch Charter School said a new partnership with TTSD Nutrition Services and local funding allowed the school to begin universal breakfast and lunch this fall; staff also described restorative‑justice work, an expanded intervention team and concerns about low Latino enrollment.
Mitch Charter School leaders reported to the Tigard‑Tualatin School District 23J board that the school has launched a district‑provided breakfast and lunch program, expanded intervention staffing and is implementing restorative justice practices to address discipline disparities.
The program change: Krista Brown, a Mitch parent and school‑board member who helped form the school’s lunch committee, told the board that Mitch began serving district meals on Nov. 13 after arrangements with TTSD Nutrition Services and that the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) made universal meals feasible. Brown said participation spikes on popular menu days: “On Mondays, chicken tender day, we have 80–87% of our kiddos coming — over 200 kids,” and that average daily participation has been about 75 students.
City funding and staffing: Brown said the school hired a lunch assistant (a Mitch parent) whose four‑hour day includes pickup, serving and cleanup; the position was subsidized in part by a grant from the city of Tualatin. The school credited TTSD Nutrition Services staff — named in the presentation — for quickly building a serving system without an on‑site commercial kitchen.
Intervention and curriculum: Caitlin Blood, Mitch’s executive director, and Nicole Hans, vice principal, described efforts to shore up reading and math instruction after pandemic‑era curriculum changes. The school said it now runs an RTI framework that includes a reading workshop, pull‑out interventions, classroom small‑group rotations and a full‑time intervention specialist; instructional assistants hired through the Student Investment Account support classroom push‑in services.
Restorative justice and discipline data: School leaders told the board they are addressing a disparity they found in discipline referrals. “In 2022–23 certain demographics of underserved students received major referrals at a rate up to 80% higher than white students,” Nicole Hans said. The school has trained staff with a restorative justice provider (Just Outcomes), started community‑building circles in classrooms and plans a family engagement night in March to explain the approach.
Demographics and access: Blood said Mitch’s student body has become more diverse since 2020 but that the school’s Latino enrollment (about 10%) remains well below the district average (roughly 30%). She said Mitch will convene focus groups to identify barriers to access; staff and directors noted transportation and the recent start of the lunch program as known access barriers that have been addressed.
Board reaction and supports: Board members thanked Mitch leaders and parents for solving the long‑standing lunch challenge and praised professional development efforts on curriculum and behavior supports. Directors asked about the number of out‑of‑district students Mitch enrolls (which affects district ADM) and were told a follow‑up with exact counts would be provided.
Ending: Mitch invited the board to visit the school and said it will continue to provide data to the district on attendance, discipline and academic progress as it implements restorative practices and strengthens intervention services.
