>La Grande Observer | Union and Wallowa Counties' News Leader

The Imbler School District has jumped head-first into converting its public school system into a charter system. While there are no guarantees that in the long run the conversion to a charter system will prove to be the best thing for Imbler, it’s easy to understand the predicament the district, the board and many families found themselves in.

A recent letter to the editor questioned why the district moved so   quickly to approve the conversion to a charter system. Duane Berry’s   letter made some excellent points in questioning how the school board could make such a move without getting more input from district residents. Such significant moves demand thorough investigation, as Mr. Berry suggested.

His points are well taken. Under normal circumstances, the caution he suggests makes sense. But Imbler’s circumstance is anything but normal right now. The district is projecting a 40-student drop in enrollment this fall. The situation was compounded when the La Grande School District decided last fall it would not necessarily approve every family’s request for a transfer, many of whom want to attend Imbler. The district has about 70 transfer students, many of them from La Grande.

If La Grande closes the door to transfers in order to keep the state-provided revenue, what would that mean for Imbler? Probably a much bigger loss than the 40 it had projected. Such a drop in revenue would decimate the district.

The district had no choice but to take whatever measure it could to mitigate the financial loss. A charter system allows any student to  transfer in, regardless of whether a student’s home district approves.

Only time will tell whether the move will be the right one. In the short term, at least, it keeps the district alive and keeps its staff intact. In the long run, though, a charter system’s ability to hire uncertified teachers could challenge Imbler’s ability to provide the kind of education that has made the district a draw for students from other communities.

We fully understand concerns like those expressed by Mr. Berry. But at the same time, the board had to make a move to keep the district financially viable.

The school board, and the community, will need to keep a close eye on how things progress. Imbler has an excellent school system. The community will not accept anything less.