Ms. Allen is an educator from Tillamook, OR. She has 10 years of experience working in the field of education. She taught elementary for 7 years and has spent the last 3 years as an administrator. She has a BA in Psychology, a MA in Education, and an Ed.S in Educational Leadership with Principal Licensure. Outside of school she enjoys being outdoors with her dog and staying active.
Mrs. Van Vlack came to Lourdes in 2021. Her OR Teacher's Certificate includes: Elementary Education K-8, BS, ESOL / Bilingual Endorsement and a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction. She is entering her 29th year of teaching! Her hobbies include music, reading, hiking, traveling, card making, and quilting.
Mr. Locke is entering his 6th year of teaching and brings prior experience as a middle school educator. He grew up in Dallas, OR, and now lives in Albany. Outside of the classroom, he enjoys spending time outdoors hiking and kayaking, as well as pursuing hobbies such as board games and video games. He is committed to fostering a supportive and engaging learning environment where students feel encouraged to grow both academically and personally.
Mrs. Gutierrez is entering her 4th year as a teaching assistant at Lourdes. Being both a mother and a grandma, she enjoys being around children and helping them learn. This motivated her to take ESOL & Child Development classes at Chemeketa CC. She loves hearing students’ stories and what they have to share. In her free time she enjoys reading, writing, quilting, and walking. She also spends time as a caregiver.
Lourdes Public Charter School
Jeanne Sanders Howe, July 2021-June 2026
Sarah Hern, July 2025-June 2030
Brett Nusom, July 2022-June 2027
Jennifer Clevenger, July 2025-June 30 2028
Ken Silveira, July 2022-June 2028
Unlike many charter schools, Lourdes did not have to start a program from scratch. Its problem was establishing its independence. Founded in 1898 as the Bender School, the little community school first existed a few miles from its current location. It moved to its present spot at 39059 Jordan Road in the early part of the century and became the Lourdes School. The building was replaced about 1960 and now encompasses four rooms and a separate gym, all leased buildings.
Lourdes operated as an independent district until 1997. That year state law forced it to merge with the Scio School District. In the spring of 1998, the Scio School Board decided it could no longer afford to run Lourdes.
The situation aggravated months of bitter feuding. The board declined to make Lourdes an alternative school, saying the district should not spend tax dollars to duplicate services. Lourdes supporters already had sued the Scio district over being forced to merge in the first place. When the district withdrew its funding and sent representatives to collect supplies, parents accused the district of theft and trespassing. The school hung on, however. Parents filed to re-incorporate Lourdes as a nonprofit alternative school for 1998-99, and since the district refused funding the teachers volunteered their time and community members donated money for rent and utilities. The following year, Scio agreed to sponsor a Lourdes charter.
Lourdes is not much different as a charter school. Limited class sizes, emphasis on placement according to ability instead of age, and the fact that the school continues to exist at are the things that distinguish it from schools in Scio. In the last five years Lourdes has installed a computer network and has expanded and computerized the school library. The school has a weather station, and has adopted the GLOBE program, which enables the students to collect atmospheric, water and soil data.
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