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Board approves merger of Hawthorne Alternative into Pendleton High School
Summary
The Pendleton School District board unanimously approved a proposal to merge Hawthorne Alternative High School into Pendleton High School, citing shared campus, staff and dual enrollment; district officials said Hawthorne’s program and schedule will remain unchanged.
The Pendleton School District 16R board voted April 13 to approve the merger of Hawthorne Alternative High School into Pendleton High School through the Oregon Department of Education application process. The board approved the motion unanimously after a staff presentation.
Matt Yoshioka, the district’s director of curriculum, instruction and assessment, presented the rationale for the merger, noting the schools already operate on the same campus and share staff and facilities. "Hawthorne is on the same campus as PHS," he said, and staff similarly emphasized that "the staffing will stay the same, the schedule will stay the same, and the approach will stay the same." Yoshioka said students are already dual-enrolled for electives, Advanced Placement and CTE courses, and that the change will eliminate duplicate enrollment work and reporting burdens.
The board’s motion, made by Director Mason Murphy and seconded by Director Jill Pace, authorized staff to pursue the formal application steps required by the Oregon Department of Education. The merger will also standardize diplomas so Hawthorne graduates receive a Pendleton High School diploma; Yoshioka said the district does not anticipate changes to Hawthorne’s program model.
Board members asked questions during the presentation; the record does not show dissent. The board carried the motion unanimously, and the district will proceed with the regulatory application process required for the change.
