PORT ANGELES — Instead of voting to close its lightly attended high school, the Olympic Christian School Board decided to examine options that might keep the private school afloat.
Board President Ken Crady had said it was likely that the board would vote to close the school at its Monday meeting after an open house at the school at 116 E. Ahlvers Road in Port Angeles on Friday failed to generate as much interest as board members would have liked to have seen.
But on Monday, the board instead decided to explore three options that might keep the school open, said Brian Clark, principal of the high school, Tuesday.
Those options include collaborating with local home-school groups, adding an online class component or moving the high school to be housed in the same facility as the elementary school.
The high school opened in 1997 and operates in a portion of Independent Bible Church.
In past years, the high school has had between 40 and 50 students. This year, enrollment is down to 18, Crady said.
The preschool through eighth-grade school, which is at 43 O’Brien Road, is not in danger.
Clark said he was confident that the organization’s finance committee would come up with some good options for the school.
“We are going to do everything we can to keep it open,” he said.
“We are really encouraged with the chance to look into this because the board could have just said ‘Well we’re going to close this,'” he added.
“This shows a great flexibility in looking for answers in this crazy business of ours.”
Home-schooled students could benefit from math and science classes and tutoring, Clark said.
Also, “the online access for high school diplomas is something that a lot of school systems are going to.
“We are really trying to look outside the traditional model, and this is where we are all headed.
“Public and private education systems will have to look at creating a new model as funding sources become harder to find.
Crady said four full-time teachers and one part-time teacher are employed at the high school. Since they also teach seventh and eighth grades, it is unknown how many of them would lose their job if the high school is closed, he said.
Open registration for students in all grades begins April 1.
For more information, visit www.ocsweb.org.
Students and parents campaigning to save the high school have created a Web site, www.studentsandparentsonamission.org.
For more information phone 360-452-7247.