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Medford School Board mulls ‘Classical Quest’ charter school By Kevin Opsahl Updated: Jun 09, 2022 03:45 PM A A An Ashland-based entity submitted its letter of intent to open a charter school by fall 2023 The Medford School District soon could have a fifth charter school. An Ashland-based entity called Classical Quest Education wants to open a K-6 institution beginning in fall 2023, with the possibility of a satellite campus, according to Tanner Cropper, who penned a letter of intent to school district board chair Suzanne Messer recently. Messer and the board discussed Classical Quest’s idea and the charter school approval process at its most recent meeting June 2. “It just adds another facet into the business model of educating our students,” Messer said during the meeting. “We’ll see what they do. This is just a beginning letter; it’s just notifying us this is here. More of this will come to fruition at the next meeting and through next year.” Classical Quest would follow Madrone Trail, Logos, Kids Unlimited Academy and Valley charter schools — all approved within the past 15 years — if it is approved by the district. Charter schools, which are found in most states and the District of Columbia, are public schools like many K-12 institutions, but there are differences, including that they are independently run and are under a performance-based contract from an authorizing agency — in this case the Medford School District. Charter schools can have varying educational missions, and for the proposed Classical Quest, that would be the “American Classical Leadership Education” model, in partnership with the John Adams Foundation, founded in Sacramento, California, a decade ago. Three John Adams Academy schools with 1,500 students each are currently in the Golden State. “The beauty of the American system is that we’re trying to educate every single child,” said Cropper, the CEO of BioSkin, a local designer and retailer of orthopedic braces and sports medicine products, in an interview. “That’s a beautiful thing that we believe as a country — we believe in education, and we also believe, as a country, in choice and entrepreneurial improvement and (doing) things better, going all the way back to the founding of our country.” It is with that thinking Tanner believes charter schools have a place in the educational system, and he said he hopes to marry that with the fascination he has for the U.S Founding Fathers and other notable figures in the country’s history, who lacked a “standardized education.” “This pursuit of education was rooted in personal choice, in studying classic literature to learn the liberal arts, and in close interaction with inspiring mentors,” Cropper stated in his letter to the school board. “This educational approach resulted in the development of personal authority for each of these individuals that still motivates and resonates today.” Approval of a charter school in the Medford School District comes after an extensive process that involves public input. According to information provided by the district, the creators of the proposed school must write a formal proposal. Officials then will review it and notify the applicant “as to the completeness of proposal” within 60 business days. If the proposal meets that preliminary approval, the school board must hold a public hearing on the new charter school concept 30 days later. Then the board will either approve or deny the proposal within a month of the hearing. Cropper, who did not attend the June 2 board meeting, said, “We were hoping to get in the fast lane” and have a 150-page proposal submitted to the district before the end of the year, but it’s not coming together as fast as he would like. However, Cropper is encouraged by the fact that meetings between members of his team and district officials have been fruitful. “We’re trying to do something that’s really helpful, and we don’t want to be shooting in the dark,” Cropper said. Reach reporter Kevin Opsahl at 541-776-4476 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @KevJourno.