A parent-led effort in Newberg and Dundee

If Ewing Young closes, let's open something better.

A group of Ewing Young Elementary parents is exploring a tuition-free public charter school for our community, possibly right here on the same campus. We're gathering interest now.

Yes, I'm interested Learn more
This is an exploratory, parent-led project. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Newberg-Dundee School District.

Why we're doing this

The Newberg-Dundee School District is weighing school closures and grade restructuring to address its budget, and Ewing Young Elementary is one of the schools that could close. Rather than wait and see, parents are asking a different question: what if the school stayed open as a community-run public charter?

Tuition-freeCharter schools are public schools, funded by the state and federal government. No tuition, ever.
Open to everyoneAny family in Oregon can apply. If more families apply than there are seats, a lottery decides, not a test.
Locally runGoverned by a local board of parents, educators, and community members instead of a district office.
Public accountabilityAuthorized by the district or the state, with public reporting on finances and student progress.

What we're imagining

Nothing here is final. These are the things families keep telling us they value, and they're the starting point for the charter plan.

Small by design

A neighborhood-scale school where teachers know every child by name and families know each other.

Same community, same campus

Our goal is to keep school close to home, ideally in the existing Ewing Young building, so kids keep their friends and their commute.

Strong fundamentals

Reading, writing, and math taught well, with time for science, the arts, and the outdoors that make elementary school memorable.

Parents at the table

Built and governed with families from the start, with real seats on the board and a say in how the school grows.

What a charter could offer

Running our own school means deciding what a school day looks like. These are the programs parents have asked for most, and the kind of thing a community-run charter can actually deliver.

Real food, and lessons in the kitchen

Scratch-cooked, nutritious lunches from local ingredients where we can, paired with hands-on cooking and nutrition lessons so kids learn where food comes from and how to make it.

STEAM every week

Science, technology, engineering, arts, and math taught together through building, coding, experimenting, and tinkering, not just worksheets.

Arts and music for everyone

Visual art, music, and performance as a regular part of the week for every grade, not an extra that gets cut when budgets tighten.

Project-based learning

Kids work on real, multi-week projects, like a school garden, a neighborhood history exhibit, or a water study at the creek, and pick up reading, math, and teamwork along the way.

Where we are

Opening a charter school is a multi-step public process. Here's the honest picture of where things stand.

  1. Parents organizeA core group of Ewing Young families came together after the district announced it is studying closures.
  2. Gathering interest (now)We're measuring how many families would enroll and who wants to help. This is the step you can take today.
  3. Planning and partnersForm a founding board, work with charter school experts, and draft the education plan and budget.
  4. Charter applicationSubmit a proposal to the Newberg-Dundee School District, with the Oregon Department of Education as a second path if needed.
  5. Open the doorsHire staff, enroll students, and welcome families back to Ewing Young.

Are you interested?

Two minutes. This is not a commitment to enroll. It helps us show the district and the state that there is real demand.

Would your family consider a charter school at Ewing Young?

We'll only use your email to update you about this effort. No spam, and we never share your information.

Thank you.

You're on the list. We'll be in touch as the plan takes shape. In the meantime, the most helpful thing you can do is share this page with another Ewing Young family.