High School FAQs

Oregon Family School is a public charter school sponsored by the Harney County School District. We are a virtual school, but we offer many on-site options for our students who seek interaction with students and staff. Our primary mission is to support families who have chosen to educate their children at home. Because we are a public school, we do not charge tuition. In fact, our state funding can help you purchase curriculum and/or extracurricular learning experiences to support your high school student’s academic plan. As a virtual school in Oregon, we can serve families throughout our state, however our current on-site options are only available in Central Oregon.

OFS is a public charter school that is funded by the state of Oregon. For this reason, you are not considered a homeschooler when you enroll in our school. However, the majority of your student’s schoolwork may be done at home under the supervision of a parent or guardian. You do not need to follow “homeschooling” requirements for the state of Oregon. Instead, your student’s academics and progress will be regularly reviewed by both the parent at home and the teachers and advisor at OFS.

Each experience is unique!  Here are some examples: 

• Some students never visit our campuses while others are onsite one, two, or even three days each week.
• Some students complete traditional textbooks while others complete all of their work online. 
• Some students remain in high school level classes for all four years while others transition to college classes for the upper grades. 
• Some students enjoy participating in the social activities that OFS offers while others are only interested in academics. 

• In-Person Optional: Some schools require in-person class attendance. At OFS, in-person classes are optional.
• Credit for In-Person: Some schools provide in-person opportunities, but they don’t offer credit for attending them. At OFS, we offer credit for in-person classes.
• Offline Curriculum: Some schools only offer online curriculum. At OFS, we have offline curriculum choices for families who don’t want their kids online all day.
• Allotment: Some schools will buy your curriculum for you, but they don’t offer you additional money to support the rest of your student’s education. At OFS, we offer each student allotment to cover both their curriculum and to purchase tutoring and/or extracurricular learning experiences.
• Flexible College Rules: Some schools do not allow students to take college classes unless they are willing to go to the college full-time and they require a minimum GPA for entry. At OFS, we allow kids to try out college classes at their own pace and we don’t have a minimum GPA for entry.
• Variety of Curriculum: Some schools adopt one major curriculum and students must choose all of their courses from that one company’s offerings.  At OFS, we approve many different programs so that families can find the right fit based on their own needs and interests.

While we have many offerings, please keep in mind that families are encouraged to pick and choose the options that work best for their unique needs:

• In-Person Classes
  • • both core and non-core options
    • for students who live near our campuses
• Asynchronous Classes
  • • both textbook and online options
    • for students who don’t live near our campuses OR
    • for students who do not desire to come on campus
• Concurrent College Enrollment
  • • for students who would like access to advanced academics
    • for students who would like access to highly-specialized elective courses
• Chromebook
  • • one per student for at-home learning
• Academic Assistance
  • • from a teacher/subject-matter expert
    • study halls-both in-person and virtual
• Allotment Funds
  • • for curriculum
    • for tutoring
    • for extracurricular learning experiences
    • for college tuition costs
• Advising/Academic Planning 
  • • assistance in choosing classes from a high school advisor
    • support in meeting Oregon’s graduation requirements
    • a plan that is customized to your student’s academic goals
• Support for Special Education
  • • both IEP and 504
    • assistive technology
• Social Opportunities
  • • field trips
    • staff-supervised parties
    • spring formal dance
    • graduation ceremony
• College and Career Prep
  • assistance in preparing for future goals such as college, trade school, entry to the workforce, etc.

Please see the chart below to understand what is required for a student to receive a standard diploma in the state of Oregon. 

Note: There are other diploma options available. Please reach out to us if you would like more information on a modified or an extended diploma. 

 

Subject Areas	Credits
Language Arts	4
Mathematics	3      (Algebra I and Above)
Science	3      (Must Include Scientific-Inquiry Labs)
Social Sciences	3      (Must Include Government & Finance)
Physical Education	1
Health	1
World Language, The Arts, Career and Technical Education	3
Personal Finance Education	0.5 (This requirement begins January 2027)
Higher Education and Career Path skills	0.5 (This requirement begins January 2027)
Electives	6 (Beginning in 2027, 5 credits are required)	TOTAL CREDITS	24

 

Students will choose from a list of courses that have been reviewed and approved by OFS staff. Here is our Schedule of Classes for the 2023-2024 school year. The advisor will help guide the family to the courses that meet the unique needs of the student. 

• Students will typically take six half-credit classes per semester which equates to earning six credits per school year.
• Students will also earn additional credit for advising.

• OFS teachers and advisors will post grades each semester, which will provide the information to generate the formal transcript.
• Our registrar at Oregon Family School will generate the transcript using the information provided by the high school team.
• Our registrar will be the contact person for requesting a copy of your transcript.

Please remember that in-person HS classes are optional for families who choose to opt into them. Also, some families will only opt into some of our in-person classes and they will opt out of other ones, depending on their needs. We have a menu of choices so that you can pick and choose the class schedule and class format that works best for your student. However, if you choose to take some of our in-person classes, here is the schedule for the 2023-2024 school year:

• Mondays
  • • Asynchronous classes launch new work
      • Here is the Schedule of Classes. 
    • No in-person classes
    • Virtual tutoring and study halls available on Zoom (optional)

 

• Tuesdays
  • • Day One of In-Person Core Classes in Bend

 

• Wednesdays
  • • In-Person Non-Core Classes in Bend
    • Virtual tutoring and study hall available on Zoom (optional)

 

• Thursdays
  • • Day Two of In-Person Core Classes in Bend

 

• Fridays
  • • Typically, there aren’t any offerings for students on Fridays as Fridays are set aside for staff meetings, professional development, and for planning and grading.
    • Periodically, we will offer field trips to students on Fridays.

 

23/24 In-Person Bend Schedule: Here is the 23/24 In-Person Schedule for Bend HS Classes.  

High school families will communicate with OFS in the following ways:

• Daily: Parents will take attendance for their student daily. 
• Weekly: Students will submit evidence of their academic progress once per week into Canvas and they will talk to their advisor once per week for a quick check-in. 
• Regular Conferences: Families will meet with their Advisor regularly to review their academic progress in each subject.  

Please click here to find information about futures planning such as college preparedness, the ACT/SAT, financial aid for college, and more. 

What is it?

• Concurrent enrollment students are taking college courses while simultaneously continuing to pursue a high school diploma. On transcripts, these classes count as both high school and college credits. Students may pursue a college degree and/or certificate and their high school diploma simultaneously. Alternatively, students may choose to only take non-academic electives at the college such as ceramics, weight lifting, automotive, etc.

Please meet with your Advisor to talk about your next steps.

It is possible. However, there are guidelines that must be met in order for the credit to be considered for the high school transcript. Please talk to your K-8 advisor.

• Allotment for high school students is $1500 for the year or $750 per semester.
• Allotment usage requests should align with a credit that students seek on their transcript or to a documented learning goal or objective.

Reach out and we’d be happy to answer any other questions you have. You can contact our team, here.