After brief discussion and lengthy explanations, the North Bend School Board unanimously voted to deny for a second time the charter application of the Oregon Coast High School of the Arts.

The charter was originally submitted to the School Board in April and denied at a meeting on May 11. The organizers of the High School of the Arts revised and resubmitted their proposal Nov. 13, but were again refused at a special board meeting on Monday.

The School Board cited mostly financial concerns, but also significant issues with the structure, schedule, curriculum and “seat time” for potential students at the arts school.

“I believe the approval of the charter proposal will have a direct adverse impact on the North Bend district,” said Superintendent Dr. BJ Hollensteiner.

The combination between declining enrollment and the arts high school would fracture the district further, resulting in the potential loss of $1.5 million in funding to the school district over the next five years, she added.

Although the board members were united in their denial, Robert Raper protested the lack of significant community discourse on the application and the options presented in the proposal.

“I don't feel comfortable that we've had time to investigate all the options,” Raper said. “I don't think we've spent a lot of time going over this. In spite of that, I don't think this community can support another independent high school. But if we can integrate this into our own high school, we could get somewhere.”

The board did not take public testimony at the meeting, but questioned district Curriculum Director Jim Moyer and North Bend High School Principal Bill Lucero on curriculum, certification issues and available space at the high school to house any of the arts courses for ORCO Arts.

Board members also asked Shannon Souza, a spokeswoman for the ORCO Arts School Board, questions about the charter proposal but Souza declined to reply since she was asked to directly answer questions and not elaborate.

“I've heard some inaccuracies here tonight, and I'd like to be able to address those as well,” Souza said. “I'd like to participate in the discussion freely, or I'd rather not participate at all.”

Board members spent most of the meeting deliberating on their concerns about the charter proposal.

Deb Reid questioned the way students could accrue credit at a hands-on, art-based, project-driven school. Others listed problems with defining how shared services through North Bend High would work for the arts high school.

“I guess what I saw as most troubling was that the charter school application assumes that students would have free and open access to our technology and science building, and our athletic program,” said board Chairwoman Carolyn Thompson. “It appears to me there is a specific set of parents who want a select education for their children, and want the district to help them balance their budget to the detriment of our students.”

But Reid spent significant time enumerating the various issues with the charter application, before thanking the ORCO Arts supporters for working to facilitate change in their community.

Change for whom? wondered board member Karen Helland.

“We approved Lighthouse School and have our own technology school, so obviously we're not afraid to step out of the box,” Helland said. “But I have received a lot of negative feedback from the community on this. About 98 percent of our feedback from the meeting was also negative.”

Almost the entire board urged the supporters of ORCO Arts to work with the high school to see how the existing programs could be improved, but according to Suzanne Adams, a ORCO Arts Board member, that wouldn't be a plausible compromise.

Many of the adjunct teachers or volunteer instructors that would have taught additional art courses at the charter school probably wouldn't have been certified instructors, but experienced and qualified community members. Adjusting the charter proposal to work in a traditional public high school means those un-certified teachers couldn't help teach students, Adams said.

Regardless, the board's vote leaves ORCO Arts in a stalemate.

“I feel very frustrated by the process right now,” Souza said after the meeting.

Souza and Adams said the ORCO Arts board meets on Dec. 6, and will discuss its next step then. Adams expects the board will vote to appeal the denial by North Bend School Board to the state.

If ORCO Arts appeals to the Oregon Department of Education, officials at the state will review the charter application and if there are no significant flaws, refer the issue to the state School Board. Once there, the state board can mediate the charter school discussion with North Bend officials and send the proposal back before the local School Board. If the charter is denied for a third time, the state board can either sponsor the school itself, or uphold the local district's decision.