House Bill 3,953 was presented April 21 to the House Committee on Rules. The bill would permit the nine federally recognized tribes in Oregon to apply directly to the State Board of Education to sponsor a charter school, while preserving the tribes’ option to seek authorization through a local school district.

Representative Thomas Sanchez, sponsor and a state representative for House District 43, said the change is intended to respect tribal sovereignty and to address longstanding harms tribal communities have experienced in public education. Sanchez said tribes have distinct histories — including the boarding school era — that justify a direct application route so tribes are not forced to rely solely on local districts with which relations have sometimes been strained.

Justin Martin, representing the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and speaking as a tribal member, said the change would enable tribes to incorporate tribal values, histories and indigenous language instruction and to offer community-based wraparound services. Martin described data from prior studies identifying disparities: he told the committee that roughly 75% of tribal students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (compared with 50% statewide in the cited study), nearly one-third of tribal students attended priority focus schools (versus 6.6% for other Oregon students in the study), higher rates of chronic absenteeism, and a roughly 55% graduation rate for tribal students versus about 68% for other Oregon students (figures presented in testimony and cited as from a study conducted about 10 years prior).

Representatives of school districts and boards testified as neutral. Adrienne Anderson of the Oregon School Boards Association (OSBA) said OSBA’s neutrality reflected several concerns: recent proposals earlier in the session would have increased state funding directed to charters or virtual schools and OSBA opposed those funding changes; charter schools cannot be direct members of OSBA because of nonprofit rules; and the bill would shift state school fund dollars from districts to state-sponsored charters. Anderson stated that a charter authorized directly by the State Board receives 90% of state school fund dollars, with 10% remaining with the district; when a charter is authorized through a district, current law provides 80% for K–8 charters (and 90% for grades 9–12) to the charter school and the remaining share to the district. OSBA asked for clarifying amendments that would (a) limit where a tribe may open a school to the tribe’s community or reservation, and (b) require notice to the affected school district if a tribe petitions the State Board.

Morgan Allen of the Confederation of Oregon School Administrators (COSA) raised similar concerns about geographic scope: as written, Allen said, a tribe could theoretically petition the State Board to open a brick-and-mortar or virtual charter anywhere in Oregon and proponents should clarify intent and add limiting language.

Committee members asked about funding flow and whether a state-sponsored charter would receive full per-pupil funding; proponents said they did not intend to “take from the district” and said they were open to amendments. Committee members also asked how the bill would serve tribal members who live off-reservation; proponents and district groups acknowledged that geographic definitions and enrollment considerations require careful drafting.

The committee recorded the public hearing and indicated proponents and neutral stakeholders intend to work on amendments to clarify geography, notice to districts and funding mechanics. No committee vote on final passage was recorded in the transcript.