Original Research by School Decision on Phoenix School
Phoenix School is a small charter school in Roseburg, Oregon, serving students in eighth through twelfth grade. It sits within the Douglas County SD 4 district, but operates as a distinctly separate public school option with its own governance. Because it is a charter school, families choose to enroll here rather than at the district’s comprehensive high school.
The student body is small and leans heavily toward the upper grades, with the largest group enrolled in twelfth grade. The racial and ethnic composition is predominantly white, with a smaller share of Hispanic students and a modest number of students who identify as two or more races or as American Indian or Alaska Native. The data shows a free-and-reduced-price-lunch count that exceeds the total enrollment, which in practical terms means that a very substantial share of students qualify for economic support, though the precise number is hard to interpret from the data alone.
State testing results are limited, which is typical for a school this small. For eighth-grade math, the proficiency rate was suppressed to protect student privacy, meaning the cohort was too small to report publicly. For eighth-grade English language arts and for science, the reported range was zero to five percent proficient, which indicates that very few students scored at the proficient level. Looking at a broader single-year snapshot that combines all tested grades, the proficiency rate for English language arts was a bit above one in ten, for math it was roughly one in twenty, and for science it was roughly one in four. These are low attainment numbers. A parent considering the school will want to understand how the school supports academic growth and whether the instructional approach is a good fit for their student, given that the typical test scores are far below state averages.
A graduation rate was not available in the data we reviewed. That is not unusual for a charter school of this size, but it is a gap a parent would want to follow up on directly with the school.
Roseburg itself is the county seat and the largest city in Douglas County. It was historically a timber industry hub and is still home to Roseburg Forest Products, but the local economy has diversified into healthcare and tourism, with Mercy Medical Center now a major employer. The city has a downtown core along the South Umpqua River with a traditional grid and a mix of historic buildings and newer commercial strips. Interstate 5 runs along the west side. Housing costs in the area are below the statewide average, which reflects the broader economic profile of the region. The district brief turned up no significant recent policy or leadership changes at the district level that would affect Phoenix School.
This is a small, charter high school in a mid-sized regional hub that has seen economic transition. The academic attainment on state assessments is low, and enrollment is concentrated in the older grades. A family looking at Phoenix School should weigh the alternative structure and autonomy of a charter environment against the academic results and small scale. A direct conversation with the school about its instructional model, available courses, support for students who are behind, and post-graduation outcomes would be valuable before making a decision.
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