Forest Grove Community School

What Forest Grove Community School does

Forest Grove Community School is a tuition-free public charter school serving grades 1-8 in Forest Grove, Oregon, operating under a charter with Forest Grove School District. Founded in 2007, the school is structured around four multi-age classroom levels and a place-based, experiential learning model centered on scholarship, stewardship, and citizenship. The school enrolls approximately 200 students and operates a single campus.

The school is organized as a 501(c)(3) non-profit. Its primary product is K-8 education delivered through a multi-age cohort model, with curriculum reinforced by programs such as the Out & About outdoor experience and a structured art program. The school received Oregon Green School designation in 2008 and publishes an annual Experiential Learning Report documenting its pedagogy. Institutional partnerships, notably with Pacific University, extend its educational content and community reach.

Revenue is derived almost entirely from public funding: approximately 95% of revenue comes from Oregon per-pupil allocations at roughly $6,838 per student, of which 88% is a pass-through from state sources to the school. The remaining ~5% of revenue comes from a meal program, grants, and donations. The school closed its high school program in 2010, narrowing scope to K-8, and renewed its charter contract with Forest Grove School District for the 2023-2028 period.

Name

Forest Grove Community School

Legal name

Forest Grove Community School

Website

https://fgcschool.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tuition-free public charter school serving grades 1-8 in Forest Grove, Oregon, operating under a Forest Grove School District charter with a four-level multi-age, place-based learning model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-8 Charter School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter Montessori/Waldorf/Classical/Expeditionary (Pedagogical Models) (EDAJACAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Outdoor Recreation & Adventure Programs (Trips, Climbing, Rentals) (EDALAIAG), Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning) (THAAAOAA)

Keywords

• Public charter schools
• K-8 education
• Experiential learning
• Place-based education
• Tuition-free education

Headquarters

HQ city

Forest Grove

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. State Per-Pupil Funding: 95% of FGCS budget comes from state per-pupil funding. FGCS receives 88% of per-pupil funding while the Forest Grove School District retains 12% (reduced from 15% historically). At statewide per-pupil funding of $7,771, FGCS receives $6,838 per student.
2. Grants and Donations: Supplemental funding through grants and donations, including an incentive grant from ODE received in 2006.
3. School Meals Program: Revenue from school meals - breakfast at $3.25/day and lunch at $4.00/day, with free/reduced price options for qualifying households under federal and Oregon guidelines.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Forest Grove Community School provides tuition-free public charter school education for grades 1-8 in Forest Grove, Oregon, organized into four multi-age classroom levels (Level 1: grades 1-2, Level 2: grades 3-4, Level 3: grades 5-6, Level 4: grades 7-8). The educational program emphasizes experiential, place-based learning through classroom instruction, the Out & About community excursion program, an Art Studio using the Teaching for Artistic Behavior approach, and a School Meals service. The model integrates three pillars: Scholarship (academic learning), Stewardship (sustainability education), and Citizenship (civic participation).

Product overview

Forest Grove Community School operates as a tuition-free public charter school serving grades 1-8 in Forest Grove, Oregon. The school is organized into four multi-age classroom levels (Level 1: grades 1-2, Level 2: grades 3-4, Level 3: grades 5-6, Level 4: grades 7-8), each with two classroom sections using bird-themed names. The educational model is built on three pillars: Scholarship (academic learning), Stewardship (sustainability education), and Citizenship (civic participation). Supporting programs include an Art Studio using the Teaching for Artistic Behavior approach, the Out & About place-based learning program, a School Meals program contracted through Fresh 'n Local Foods, and a Student Support Coach for social-emotional support. Special education services are provided through the Forest Grove School District.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Level 1 Program (1st-2nd Grade) Multi-age classroom program for grades 1-2 featuring 90-minute daily literacy blocks, Eureka Math Squared curriculum, Writers' Workshop, Art with building blocks of creativity, and twice-weekly physical activity. Average class size of 22 students.
• Level 2 Program (3rd-4th Grade) Multi-age classroom program for grades 3-4 focusing on thematic studies including storytelling, Lewis & Clark Expedition, Native American Indians, and Oregon Trail. Includes workshop approach to reading, four traits of writing, and Eureka Math Squared.
• Level 3 Program (5th-6th Grade) Multi-age classroom program for grades 5-6 featuring literature circles, independent reading, six traits of writing, Eureka Math Squared, Outdoor School every other year, and art focusing on mastering craft.
• Level 4 Program (7th-8th Grade) Multi-age classroom program for grades 7-8 emphasizing advanced reading (3+ novels per year), multiparagraph essay writing, pre-algebra preparation, civics, and project-based learning including Civil War reenactment and Medieval History units.
• Art Program (The Studio) Art education using Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB) approach, centered on student choice and independence. Studio centers include drawing, painting, collage, papercrafting, and 3D work. Serves nearly 200 students across all grade levels.
• Out & About Program Regular community excursions integrating place-based learning. Students visit local parks, libraries, Oregon Historical Society, Portland Art Museum, and other community locations as part of experiential education.
• School Meals Program Daily breakfast and lunch provided through Fresh 'n Local Foods contractor meeting federal nutritional standards. Breakfast is grab-and-go at $3.25/day; lunch ($4.00/day) includes hot entree, fresh fruit, vegetables, and milk. Free/reduced options available for qualifying households under federal or Oregon expanded income guidelines.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fresh 'n Local FoodscoreOthersFGCS contracts with Fresh 'n Local Foods (FNL), a Salem-based company, for school breakfast and lunch that meet federal nutritional standards. Lunches include a main hot entree, fresh fruit, fresh vegetable and milk. Breakfasts are 'grab and go.' Alternate lunch meals available for students with special dietary needs (vegetarian/gluten-free/dairy-free).
• Pacific UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPacific University students created a promotional video for FGCS. The university also provides Holocaust Resource Center access for Level 4 students studying this period of history, and medievalists from Pacific University collaborate with students on history education.
• SafeOregonminorOthersAnonymous tip line service for reporting school safety concerns. Reports submitted through the tip line are relayed to FGCS for follow up.
• Mid-Columbia Bus Co.coreOthersProvides school bus transportation for FGCS students living one mile or more from school. Two buses assigned to serve FGCS, covering entire district. Routes and times assigned based on student addresses.
• Forest Grove School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFGCS operates under charter contract with Forest Grove School District. The District provides special education services at FGCS. FGCS follows District direction on inclement weather closures. FGCS receives 88% of state per-pupil funding with District retaining 12%.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Teton Science Schools: Place-based education nonprofit operating schools and programs in Wyoming/Idaho that integrate outdoor learning and community engagement — the most direct peer in terms of place-based/experiential pedagogical DNA.
• Edvisions: Network of small, student-centered K-12 schools built around multi-age classrooms and project-based learning — closely parallels FGCS's mixed-age, whole-child model and offers a template for potential multi-site replication.

Direct peers

• Mosier Charter School: Small Oregon public charter school serving K-8 students with a community-led enrollment model and small class sizes — structurally similar single-site operator under the same Oregon charter framework.
• Harmony Academy: Oregon-based public charter school with a project-based, community-engaged learning model that parallels FGCS's place-based, Scholarship/Stewardship/Citizenship framework.
• Crater Lake Charter Academy: Oregon public charter school operating under similar state per-pupil funding and lottery enrollment rules, serving a comparable small-school K-8 niche in a rural Oregon community.
• City View Charter School: Tuition-free public charter school in Hillsboro, OR (nearby Forest Grove) serving grades K-8 with a similar small-school, community-led enrollment model under Oregon charter law — most directly comparable Oregon peer.

Others

• Oregon Connections Academy: Statewide online public charter school option serving Oregon K-12 students — an alternative public school choice that competes for the same Forest Grove families seeking non-traditional K-8 education.

Broad incumbents

• KIPP Foundation: National nonprofit charter school network operating tuition-free public K-12 schools with a college-preparatory mission; relevant as a large incumbent showing the scaled-up version of the public charter model FGCS occupies at single-site scale.
• EL Education: National K-12 education network (formerly Expeditionary Learning) that partners with public schools on project-based, place-based, and expeditionary learning — directly aligned with FGCS's pedagogical approach at network scale.
• Summit Public Schools: Established nonprofit charter management organization running tuition-free public K-12 schools with personalized and project-based learning — a broader incumbent offering an alternative to FGCS's small, place-based model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forest-grove-community-school

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Forest Grove Community School