Bridge Charter Academy
Bridge Charter Academy
Grades K-12
Print or online for all grades
Stipend: $800, iPad or Chromebook provided
Curriculum: choice of options for print, third party vendors for online
High School: Online, home curriculum, or community college
Meetings: Weekly 3-hour in-person class (Lowell or Bend), one electronic check-in per week
Sponsoring school district: Lowell
Two locations: Lowell (near Eugene) and Bend, serving students in driving distance to a campus
Size: 450 students
In operation since 2016
Web site: https://www.bridgecharter.com/
$800 per child
For use on curriculum, on-campus extracurricular classes, or outside vendors. Items may be ordered through the school, or purchased privately and submitted for reimbursement. Certain textbooks are school-provided at no charge.
Bridge allows families to choose from a variety of print based curricula that fit the goals and learning style of the student, as long as the curriculum is rigorous and approved by the school. Purchases are from the stipend. Bridge also pays for access to the Acellus online content, available to all students, for grades K-12.
There are also on-campus extracurricular activities or parents can choose outside vendors for extracurriculars, using the stipend.
Online classes are provided through the third-party provider, Acellus. There are close to 500 classes available on Acellus, including many electives for high schoolers.
All students attend a weekly 3-hour “cohort” class of about 12 students to work on labs, have group discussions, play learning games, turn in assignments, etc. Grades K-2 have one teacher and an assistant for a maximum of 12 students per class. High schoolers can obtain personalized help on math, writing and science, as well as college and career planning. Parents may relax in the lounge on-campus and connect during this time, and day-care is provided for younger siblings. Cohorts are currently offered from 9-12 and 1-4 on Tues/Wed/Thurs at either the Lowell campus or Bend campus.
The school also provides a number of on-site extra-curricular options that may be paid for with the student's allotment, one per term. These options are subsidized by the school and cost $100 per semester. Examples include piano, guitar, strings, pottery, photography, 3D printing, animation and wood shop. Musical instruments are also available to rent with the student’s allotment.
Field trips are planned approximately once a month, to locations near Lowell or Bend.
High school students can choose to take all their classes for credit on the Acellus platform, or use a blend of online, home study, and community college classes. For home study credit, the course design must be pre-approved with the department head and then the student will check in at least monthly or more often with that teacher to monitor progress. Work is submitted for credit each quarter.
Bridge offers a dual credit program for high schoolers available in partnership with two community colleges:
Lane CC
Central Oregon CC
There is no specified limit on the number of credits a student may take or tuition covered by Bridge. Each student is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Bridge covers the tuition and the books are paid out of the student's allotment fund.
Since Bridge is sponsored by the Lowell school district, near Eugene, special education evaluations and support are provided by Lowell district staff on that campus. In Bend, Bridge has a designated special education teacher, to provide oversight and services to students in person there.
Twice-weekly attendance requirements are met by attending the half-day cohort meeting once a week, and one additional electronic check-in on their web portal. Bridge encourages the younger students to get used to submitting work online, with parent assistance. No other in-person meetings are required, except as needed to support high schoolers in their home study for credit courses.
SBAC annually, plus iReady progress monitoring assessments as needed. Students take the test at their home campus location.
Applications are available online, for each campus location. Bridge is not currently at maximum capacity, they have been adding to their staffing each year. If they do reach the point at which demand exceeds capacity, they will implement a lottery system, similar to other charter schools.