During a lengthy discussion at the LCSD board meeting, district leaders outlined a multi‑year history of efforts to bring Siletz Valley Charter School into compliance with its charter agreement and state and federal requirements. The school serves students in the Siletz community and is closely tied to Confederated Tribe of Siletz Indians tribal culture and identity.

History of compliance concerns

According to Lincoln County School District Superintendent Dr Majalise Tolan the charter agreement went back to at least 2022, when then‑Superintendent Dr. Karen Gray commissioned the School as a charter after it was facing closure. Dr. Tolan’s presentation, expressed concerns about compliance at Siletz Valley charter and asked the Oregon School Boards Association (OSBA) to conduct a third‑party review. That review involved interviews with Siletz staff, LCSD staff, and others connected to the school.

The OSBA report identified 10 areas of noncompliance. However, repeated leadership changes at the school and missed deadlines led LCSD to issue a formal notice of noncompliance in August. The district then commissioned a follow‑up OSBA review, which again found continuing areas of noncompliance and recommended a legal analysis. LCSD’s legal counsel concluded that several violations met the legal threshold for charter termination.

Dr. Tolan emphasized that the findings from the reviews did not negate positive programming or cultural work happening at Siletz, but said LCSD is legally responsible for ensuring any charter it sponsors is in compliance. She laid out a series of options for the board. They ranged from maintaining the status quo with continued monitoring, to terminating the charter and fully closing the school, to more complex scenarios involving reopening Siletz school under a new charter or as a district‑run school.

She said closure with no replacement school in Siletz was not her recommendation, stressing that both LCSD and the district’s tribal partners want a school in the Siletz community. One favored option she described would end the current charter and lease, then work toward reopening Siletz as a Lincoln County School District‑sponsored charter school under a new structure, with a fresh 501(c)(3) organization and potential access to charter‑specific facility grants. Another possibility mentioned was reopening as a district‑run school, though Tolan suggested that was less financially viable, especially at certain grade configurations.

Strong community support for keeping Siletz open

Board members noted they had heard extensive public testimony, received emails, and spoken directly with families, students, and staff who are passionate about keeping a school in Siletz. They acknowledged the school’s cultural importance and the desire among tribal and non‑tribal families to maintain a local educational option grounded in Siletz community values.

LCSD board member Jason Malloy described trying to be as “objective as possible” despite the emotional weight of the decision. Citing OSBA’s conclusion that Siletz “currently lacks the administrative capacity to meet the performance and compliance standards,” he argued that contracts exist for a reason and that LCSD must enforce them.

Board member David Cowden however, expressed discomfort with terminating the charter at this time, saying he did not feel knowledgeable enough about all the alternative pathways and emphasizing his commitment to “what’s good for kids.” He opposed termination and called for adults on all sides to “figure this out and make it work.”

Board vote fails on technical grounds

After debate, a motion was made to terminate both the charter and lease agreement with Siletz Valley Charter School effective July 3, 2026. The roll‑call vote produced two “yes” votes and one “no” vote. Board member Dr. Natalie Schaefer, recussed herself as she said she does work with Siletz Valley School through her job and the fifth board member Mitch Parsons was absent. With two yes votes and one no vote the motion appeared to have passed however wheather or not there was a majority vote was questioned.

Following a brief recess to consult policy and statute, staff clarified that under Oregon law and board policy, the “affirmative vote of the majority of the members of the board” is required to transact business. For a five‑member board, that means three affirmative votes, not simply a majority of those present and voting.

Because only two members voted in favor, the motion to terminate actually failed. As a result, the charter and lease remain in place, and Siletz Valley Charter School continues to operate, despite remaining formally out of compliance in several areas.

What happens next

Siletz Valley Charter School Board Chair Jenn Metcalf stated "The staff and administration at Siletz Valley School (SVCS) have worked very hard in the last couple of months to bring things into compliance to show work is being done and will continue to be done showing progress, deliverables and outcomes."

Metcalf praised Dr. Tolan and her staff for their guidance and assistance. "I believe they will be helping us because the charter and leasse agreement is still active and we have a lot of wok to do. Right now we are not 100% in compliance, but we are working very hard toward those goals. SVCS acting superintendent Debra Barnes has put in many hours and worked all through spring break." Metcalf added the staff have stepped up in a big way and that momentum will continue.

Board members and the superintendent acknowledged the awkward outcome: a school deemed noncompliant by both OSBA and district legal counsel continues under its current charter because the board could not reach the three‑vote threshold needed to act.

Board members expressed hope that LCSD and Siletz leaders can “continue to develop a positive relationship” and move the school into compliance, for the sake of students and the Siletz community.

No final decision was made on the superintendent’s proposed resolution to begin formal planning for a new or restructured school model in Siletz. Metcalf added "We have a special school here in Siletz, we have wonderful students. Staff that have been here for many years and I hope that moving forward we can get some professional development and operate with interconnectedness and integrity. Our children deserve the best education. Metcalf added It is their right to be in a safe environment and get that education in a setting that they love."

For now, Siletz Valley Charter School remains open, with the district still legally responsible for overseeing a charter it has identified as out of compliance. The long‑term shape of public education in Siletz — whether under a revised charter, a new charter sponsor structure, or another model — will depend on future negotiations, legal guidance, and LCSD board action. Metcalf concluded SVCS is about culture, preserverance, resilience and belonging.