Fossil Charter School, Fossil OR

Original Research by School Decision on Fossil Charter School

Fossil Charter School is a K-12 public charter school located in the very small town of Fossil, Oregon, the seat of Wheeler County. The school is part of the Fossil School District 21J but operates under a charter, which means it has some autonomy from the district while remaining publicly funded. Although the town itself has a small population, the school’s enrollment is reported as large for the area, suggesting it draws students from beyond the immediate town limits. The grade distribution shows a heavy concentration in elementary grades, with each grade from kindergarten through eighth grade having a substantial number of students, while the high school grades (nine through twelve) each have only a handful of students. This pattern gives the school a very different feel for its younger students compared to its older ones.

Fossil is a quiet, rural community that serves as the county seat and a gateway to the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. The town has a compact downtown with a historic courthouse, a combined city hall and library, a small museum, and a few local businesses. Employment is centered on county government, the school district, and seasonal tourism. The population is not growing; recent estimates show a slight decline, consistent with many remote rural Oregon towns. Housing is affordable, with typical home values well below the state and national medians.

The school’s student body is predominantly white, with small shares of Hispanic, Black, Asian, and multiracial students. The share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch is very low, a noteworthy figure that may reflect the specific population the charter serves. No data on students with disabilities or English learners was available in the records.

State assessment results are reported for grades three through eight in math, English language arts, and science. The high school grades have too few students to produce reliable results, and no high school testing data is included. In math, proficiency rates vary by grade, with some grades showing solid performance and others falling below the midpoint. English language arts results are stronger across the board, with all tested grades showing a majority of students meeting proficiency standards; several grades have strong outcomes. Science results, available for grade five and grade eight, show a wide gap: grade five performed well, while grade eight was much lower. Overall, when compared with other districts in Wheeler County, the school’s combined proficiency index places it at the top of the group, a clear strength. Only one year of test data is available, so no trend direction can be assessed.

The school does not report any advanced coursework, dual credit, career programs, or extracurricular offerings in the available data. Because the high school enrollment is very small, families considering the school for secondary grades may want to ask directly about the breadth of course options and whether students have access to classes at other schools or online.

No information on chronic absenteeism, discipline rates, class sizes, or teacher qualifications was provided. The school’s charter status and its location in a small, close-knit community may appeal to families who value a local K-12 setting with strong elementary and middle school performance relative to the county. However, the minimal high school enrollment and the lack of detailed program information mean that the secondary experience is largely undefined in this public record. Prospective families, particularly those with older students, would benefit from a firsthand visit and a conversation with the school leadership to understand how the school addresses the needs of its few high schoolers.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

Not publicly reportedCohort of 1 student · Class of 2021

The federal source does not publish a graduation rate for cohorts this small. The cohort size is shown for context.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

326 schools plotted. 10 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 372%

School 72% · District 72%

▲ 34 pts above state median

Grade 461%

School 61% · District 61%

▲ 27 pts above state median

Grade 542%

School 42% · District 42%

▲ 13 pts above state median

Grade 651%

School 51% · District 51%

▲ 24 pts above state median

Grade 756%

School 56% · District 56%

▲ 27 pts above state median

Grade 837%

School 37% · District 37%

▲ 9 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 371%

School 71% · District 71%

▲ 31 pts above state median

Grade 467%

School 67% · District 67%

▲ 26 pts above state median

Grade 573%

School 73% · District 73%

▲ 27 pts above state median

Grade 666%

School 66% · District 66%

▲ 25 pts above state median

Grade 763%

School 63% · District 63%

▲ 18 pts above state median

Grade 876%

School 76% · District 76%

▲ 35 pts above state median

Science

Grade 560%

School 60% · District 60%

▲ 31 pts above state median

Grade 833%

School 33% · District 33%

▲ 7 pts above state median

This schoolFossil SD 21J, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.