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Silver Falls board hears Sequoia program update and early results from new hybrid re‑engagement option
Summary
Sequoia Falls leaders told the board they served students with complex needs and have enrolled 56 in a new hybrid re‑engagement program that mixes in‑school, home and online learning; presenters and a student spoke about flexibility, staffing limits and mental‑health supports.
Sequoia Falls staff updated the Silver Falls School District board on a trauma‑informed re‑engagement program and a newly launched hybrid pathway that aims to bring students back into learning.
Chris Freeman, a Sequoia instructor, told the board Sequoia supports students with “mental and behavioral health challenges or require individual complex case management,” and that last year the program served 108 students with 25 graduates. The hybrid program, Freeman said, has enrolled 56 students so far — a mix of district students, transfers from other districts and students returning from homeschooling — and staff schedule students across seven periods and wrap supports around individualized learning plans.
“For some students this flexibility is the difference between staying in school and leaving,” Freeman said. She added that the district receives full ADM for students enrolled in the hybrid program and that Sequoia has memoranda of understanding with mental‑health providers so therapists can ‘push in’ to schools and bill insurance directly.
Student Ruby Wellman described the hybrid option as life‑changing: “If it wasn't for the hybrid program, I most likely would have got my GED at the beginning of the year and called it quits,” she said, adding the program has helped her enroll in Chemeketa and stay engaged.
Parent Lisa Kinsey said the model lets families blend on‑site classes with at‑home coursework, calling it a good fit for students who need flexibility for work or volunteer commitments.
Board members pressed staff on logistics: how transcripts and prior credits are evaluated, who builds individual plans and how the district handles scheduling and support. Freeman said staff collect transcripts and proficiency evidence from prior schools and that Sequoia and hybrid staff meet regularly with students — about every six weeks — to review progress. The presenters acknowledged the program is time intensive for staff and described it as a pilot with weekly tweaks to processes and caseloads.
Why it matters: The district framed the hybrid program as an alternative pathway to graduation that preserves district enrollment and credit for students who otherwise might leave. Board members flagged capacity concerns and suggested developing grouped or block curricula to reduce individualized workload while retaining flexibility for students.
Next steps: Staff said they are monitoring enrollment and capacity, will continue to refine the individualized plans, and will report back as the pilot evolves.
