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Port Orford-Langlois board approves Family Academy curriculum list, defers two vendors over religious-content concerns
Summary
The board approved a set of core curricula for the district's new Family Academy but left two publishers'The Good and the Beautiful and Treehouse/Schoolhouse'for further review amid questions about religious content and legal compliance.
The Port Orford-Langlois SD 2CJ board voted unanimously to approve a package of core curricula for the district's new Family Academy at its regular meeting, while deferring final action on two publishers after trustees raised concerns about potential religious content.
Board members approved Asellus, All About Reading, Blossom and Root, BookShark, Oak Meadow, RightStart Mathematics, Singapore Math, Timberdoodle and Khan Academy for use in the Family Academy program. The motion to adopt the list was made by Board member (Speaker 3) and seconded; the board adopted it by voice vote.
The decision follows a detailed presentation from the staff member leading Family Academy (Speaker 6), who told the board that the program is intended to support families choosing to homeschool while ensuring instructional materials align with Oregon standards. "The key thing is probably that they need to be secular and not religious," the presenter said, describing the district's review process and its plan to return any materials containing religious components.
Several trustees pressed staff about two vendors that some trustees and families had raised questions about. Board member (Speaker 7) said she had found language suggesting nonsecular elements and said, "I just don't want us to be in legal trouble," urging care before district funds reimburse core curriculum purchases. Staff answered that, when purchased through the district, materials will be reviewed on receipt and any religious components will be removed or the purchase returned.
The board and staff framed the vote as consistent with state requirements: approving core instructional packages that the district has reviewed while leaving room for additional vendor reviews as families request different materials. Superintendent (Speaker 5) noted that supplemental materials and family-selected resources are still permitted for family use but that only district-approved, secular core materials would be reimbursable with public funds.
What's next: staff said they will continue to review the two deferred publishers and bring additional information at the next meeting; purchase orders already on staff desks will be held pending that review.
Provenance: topicintro SEG 1330, topfinish SEG 1986.
