+ Is there tuition to attend Frontier Charter Academy?

There is no tuition. Frontier Charter Academy is a free public school for any enrolled Oregon student.

+ Does my child need a computer?

Frontier Charter Academy provides a free Chromebook computer for every student once they are enrolled.

+ Do I pay for books or other learning materials?

Frontier Charter Academy provides all books and learning materials free of charge.

+ Are teachers certified? Do they live in Oregon?

Yes, teachers are licensed and certified Oregonians. Frontier Charter Academy provides many face-to-face opportunities to meet students and families for the purpose of educational and social events.

+ Does my student have to do their work from home? Or just anywhere they have a WiFi connection?

Students can work from any productive setting with a reliable internet connection. Many students attend class or work on projects from their Chromebook riding in the car, while on a trip, or at a friend’s house!

+ What does a typical day look like?

Every student’s school day will look a little different! Students in grades K-5 will spend less time on independent online work in Canvas, and more time in live sessions in Zoom and with activities involving an adult at home. Students in middle school and high school will spend more of their day completing independent work in Canvas and Google and working with teachers in Zoom class sessions. A school day is traditionally about five hours long, so this can be a baseline expectation for a typical day at FCA; however, some students will complete work more quickly or break up their work across the day rather than a single block.

+ How long are the live classes? How many per week?

Live classes are about 30 minutes in grades K-5 and about 60 minutes in middle school and high school. Grades K-5 have four classes per week, 6-8 has five, and high school has at least six depending on course enrollments. Students can also work in small group or one-on-one sessions, too. Also, live classes are recorded for students unable to attend a certain class.

+ What is the turnaround for teachers to answer questions?

Teachers are working from 8:00-5:00 on school days, and generally get back to messages quite quickly. At the very latest, a turnaround of 24 hours can be expected.

+ How much homework does my student have to do?

Generally speaking, nothing distinguishes ‘homework’ from the schoolwork the student is already doing as part of their day. Students will often be recommended extra activities to either practice or challenge some skills, and may work on projects in which they choose to go above and beyond. Beyond these optional situations, students will likely sign off after they have completed their day’s hard work without the need for additional homework.

+ My student is an athlete and wants to compete for their local school. Can they do that?

Yes, Frontier Charter Academy is an associate member of the OSAA, which allows any student to be eligible to play for their local school.

+ My student wants to still attend some classes at their brick & mortar school, can this be done? And who do I talk to?

Once you pre-register, please touch base with the academic administrator who responds to your query. There are many ways to accomplish this, but it depends on the district and courses offered. We will help work with you to support your student!

+ Does FCA work with an IEP or 504?

Yes! FCA will hold an intake meeting after enrollment to go through your current IEP and adapt to fit our virtual environment.

+ What does special education look like at FCA?

We have an inclusion model where we build in accommodations and supports in our general education classroom as much as possible. Our teachers and case managers work hard with families to ensure student needs are being met and we value communication above all else to help your child thrive.

+ Does FCA offer related services like speech?

We do! We work with eTherapy to offer these services virtually. During the intake meeting related services will be discussed with the team and scheduled at times that work for your family.

+ I have concerns about my child’s academic progress/speech. How will that be addressed?

Upon registering you will receive a welcome call from your child’s homeroom teacher. This is a great time to share concerns. Your child’s teacher will be able to put you in contact with the staff member who can best address your concerns. Similar to brick and mortar settings, we will provide a series of interventions prior to evaluating for Special Education or possibly some screening assessments. We will work with you throughout this process.

+ My child has an IEP or 504 but I don’t want them to have it anymore. What do I do?

We recommend discussing this process at your intake meeting and we can walk you through the appropriate steps.

+ Who do I contact with special program questions?

Please contact Katie Schweitzer (kschweitzer@frontiercharteracademy.org), Director of Student Services with questions.