Tigard‑Tualatin board denies Arcoiris Spanish immersion charter appeal

The Tigard‑Tualatin School District board denied a resubmitted charter application from Arcoiris Spanish Immersion School following a public presentation and deliberation on statutory criteria outlined by state law (ORS 338.055).

Arcoiris staff presented revisions and argued the proposal met the statutory criteria, saying the model—a one‑way immersion program—differs from the district’s two‑way immersion offering and that financing can be secured through tax‑exempt bonds or developer leases. "When evaluating a charter application, boards can only consider that criteria that state law specifically lists," Arcoiris’ presenter said during the appeal.

District leadership reviewed the resubmission and recommended denial, citing three primary concerns: (1) the financial plan had not materially changed in a way that resolved earlier district questions; (2) much of the submitted community support consisted of signatories outside TTSD and some duplicate names; and (3) the district already offers a two‑way immersion program and the board weighed accessibility to district families.

Following deliberation, Director Jimenez moved to deny the resubmitted proposal under ORS 338.055 and district policy LBE‑AR. The board then recorded a roll call vote: 3 yeses, 1 no, and 1 abstention; the motion carried.

The district emphasized that the denial reflected the board’s application of statutory evaluation criteria rather than a judgment about the value of bilingual education. Arcoiris representatives said they would continue to pursue options and asked the board to apply the statutory standard in good faith. Board members asked for clearer documentation of distinct TTSD family interest and more substantive financial revisions as the basis for their decision.