CORVALLIS — Public education in Montana may look very different in the coming years, thanks to the approval of charter schools by the Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI).
The Corvallis School District was approved for two new charter schools starting next fall.
The new programs will offer families more school choice while preparing students to make an educated career decision.
The two programs under Rise Charter of Corvallis are a distance academy and a pathways academy.
The distance program will focus on more experience-based learning, with extra field trips and guest speakers. It also offers opportunities for kids to learn remotely.
The pathways program will partner with local agencies to expose students to possible career paths, then later enroll them in internships or apprenticeships once they enter high school.
Both charters are K-12, and starting next fall, K-8 Corvallis students will be automatically exposed to the program additions.
The charter programs are meant to be supplemental to the education already provided at Corvallis, according to Superintendent Pete Joseph.
“Kids will be able to pick better for themselves, pick pathways, pick educational opportunities that better fit their needs, and I think that’s going to be a huge opportunity for Corvallis,” Joseph says.
The opportunities for hands-on experience through pathways can equip students to make more informed decisions when choosing their post-graduation plan.
Currently, Corvallis is looking to include career exposure to the medical field through Bitterroot Health, ecology through the U.S. Forest Service, public service through the Bitterroot Valley Military Program and local law enforcement agencies, and construction fields through local companies.
They are also looking at farm-to-food and stream-to-steam programs for students looking to get into ranch work or railway employment.
“So all of those pathways will not only help kids and families kind of choose where they’re going to head but also hopefully integrate them as early as freshman and high school, as far as getting internships and apprenticeships that hopefully help a student pick a path that best fits their needs,” Joseph says.
While Corvallis charter students will still be on track to attend a college or university if they choose, the flexible learning style gives students options apart from post-secondary education. Joseph says that only 40% to 50% of Corvallis seniors attend college, so there is a large need to show the remaining half of the student body other options.
Corvallis is ready to start the charters in the fall since a lot of the pathways learning style is already a value within the district’s halls. Joseph says the students currently receive exposure to local trades through tech and shop classes.
The public service pathway will be named “Salute to Service” — showing appreciation for community employees.
“It’s also a sign of respect and appreciation for some of the careers that are out there, i.e. police, fire, teachers, government officials, so Salute to Service, it really is just encompassing all of those types of jobs that serve the population,” Joseph says.
A partner already committed to the Salute to Service pathway at Corvallis is the Bitterroot Valley Military Program (BVMP), which celebrates its one-year anniversary on April 6, 2024.
BVMP was created by Marine veteran Sean Smothers and a few fellow veterans in order to immerse young kids in military-style physical training, civics courses and community service.
“We are not a boot camp,” Smothers says. “We are a tool to expose kids to serving their country, serving their community.”
The program will offer high school charter students opportunities to earn credit by attending the BVMP Saturday meetings. They will receive grades based on their enthusiasm, fitness improvements, teamwork and civic knowledge.
Since BVMP’s inception a year ago, the program has maintained an enrollment of about 20 kids. The current enrollees will lead their peers once the charter school opens in the fall.
Smothers — a parent himself — is excited to see what the charter school model can offer to Corvallis students.
“I like the fact that the kids can really take part in their education and kind of have a choice and a say, and I think maybe that will help spark interest, whether that’s in the construction field or if it’s in STEM, music, arts, whatever, or service to country I think is great too,” he says.
The leaders behind Rise Charter of Corvallis are remaining flexible, according to Joseph, and a lot of the curriculum will be decided by student feedback and interest surveys.
“I’m really excited for kids and families, they kind of get to mold their education to their needs, and I think that’s really special,” Joseph says.
