Charter schools withdraw applications from Portland Public Schools | OregonLive.com

Charter schools withdraw applications from Portland Public Schools | OregonLive.com:

Charter schools withdraw applications from Portland Public Schools

by Nicole Dungca, The Oregonian

Organizers from two charter schools that had hoped to open their doors this fall in Portland Public Schools have withdrawn their applications.

Representatives of READY Public Charter School and RISE Academy pulled their respective proposals after hearing concerns from the school board and district. Organizers from both schools said they would work on submitting another proposal at a later date, though a RISE Academy official noted the school may look at applying to other districts.

In Oregon, charter schools -- which are publicly-funded, but often privately-run -- must be approved by a district, a college or the state before operating.

Board members had aired concerns about READY Public Charter School, which would have been sponsored by the non-profit Portland Habilitation Center Northwest, because of its lack of community support and a business plan that used substantial donations from its parent organization, among other things.

Lynden Evans, a training manager at the Portland Habilitation Center who would serve