FAQs
What makes charter schools unique? Charter schools were originally formed to allow parents more input into their children’s public education, and this is true of our school as well. You can expect to contribute your ideas, time, and skills to influence the quality of your child’s learning experience in our small rural school. To be successful, a charter school requires the strong commitment of the families that make up its community.
What is Muddy Creek Charter School? Muddy Creek is a tuition-free public K-5 school that is located at the former site of the Inavale K-8 school in the southern rural part of the Corvallis School District. It is open to all students regardless of where they live, though school size is limited per the charter. MCCS was initiated by Inavale Community Partners, Inc., a non-profit organization of local parents and community members dedicated to preserving the sustainability of the rural community previously served by the Inavale K-8 School.
What do children learn at Muddy Creek? We offer a strong academic education in the context of a rural environment, the context of our Place-Based Education. Mornings focus on language arts and math, while afternoons seek to extend the academic instruction through multi-disciplinary hands-on projects encompassing the sciences, arts, humanities, and technology. This is called Project-Based Education. Our natural surroundings become an extended classroom where children spend time every day in investigative learning about the roles of people and nature in sustaining life and community.
How Do I Sign Up? Print and fill out the Enrollment Application Form or contact the office and one can be picked up or sent to you.
If you are considering our school for your child, please get in touch with us, either by calling 541-752-0377 or sending us an email at office@muddycreekcharterschool.org We’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have, as well as take your contact information and arrange for you to tour the school.
How does the Enrollment Lottery work? The lottery is conducted in 3 tiers. The first tier we randomly select from are students who have some current familial connection to the school (a sibling is already currently enrolled, or a parent works at the school). The second tier we randomly select from are students who live within the boundaries of the Corvallis School District (because they are our sponsoring district). The third tier we randomly select from are students who neither live in Corvallis, nor have a familial connection.
We conduct the lottery in late March, the Executive Director decides on a specific date which will be communicated to all applicants. After the lottery is held, all families are informed of the results (accepted, or put on the waitlist).
Does the lottery take into account preschool, disability, or any other kind of prior schooling/credentials? The lottery is un-weighted outside of the tiers described above, but preference may be given to children coming from traditionally underserved populations at the discretion of the Executive Director.
Can my student enroll now? Spots will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. If you are interested in enrolling your child in any other grade for the remainder of this school year, you may submit an application at any time. If a spot opens up in an appropriate classroom, you will be contacted and informed if you may have that slot (if there are no other families waiting for that slot as well) or if a lottery will take place to fill the vacancy.
How many classes does Muddy Creek have? Muddy Creek is a K-5 school, with 1 class per grade.
How many students per class? Our kindergarten and 1st grade are capped at 20 students. 2nd and 3rd are capped at 22 students and all other classes have a cap of 24 students. Our current charter contract limits us to a total of 130 students total.
Does Muddy Creek have a bus? Yes! Our bus stops are: Adams Elementary, Riverbend Park, Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis, Philomath Library. The bus schedule is released in the summer before school starts, to give adequate time for families to plan.
What are the school hours? School starts promptly at 8:30AM, classrooms open for students at 8:25 AM. “Earlybird” students may be dropped off in the art room starting at 8AM, and will be released to classrooms at 8:25 AM. The school day ends at 3:00 PM Monday through Thursday, with an early release at 2:00 PM every Friday.
When does school start? The first day of school for the 2025-26 school year is September 3rd.
When will we have a school calendar? Muddy Creek generally follows the Corvallis School District calendar: https://www.csd509j.net/calendar/
How will Muddy Creek communicate with me? For general announcements and updates, the office releases a once a month newsletter. Time-sensitive updates and announcements are communicated through email. Any immediate student needs (such as illness, forgotten lunches, pick-up updates) will be contacted through phone calls and/or Class Dojo” https://www.classdojo.com/ul/p/addKid?target=school&schoolID=558089fd6f0c41f11aa80fb0
Does Kindergarten have a “gentle start”? Yes, we offer “gentle start” or half-day kindergarten this year. All students can drop off supplies and meet teacher the day after Labor Day. One half of the class will attend half-day (AM) on Wednesday, the other half will attend half day on Thursday (AM), and all kinders will attend from 8:30-2pm that first Friday.
What should students bring to school? Supplies may vary slightly from grade to grade, and these expectations will be communicated to you by the classroom teacher. Every student at Muddy Creek, regardless of grade needs:
- A rain jacket to be left at school
- Rain boots to be left at school
- A nutritious lunch and snack(s)
Does Muddy Creek have a hot lunch program? Muddy Creek does not provide lunch or snacks. Families may sign up for the free milk program, if interested.
What kind of Specials does Muddy Creek offer? Muddy Creek currently provides the following special classes for K-5:
- Library (once a week)
- PE (twice a week)
- Art (once a week)
- Music (once a week)
What does a typical schedule look like at Muddy Creek? Every class has a slightly different schedule, and it depends on the day of the week. Here is an example schedule from our 2nd grade class:
- 8:25-8:30am Doors open for school
- 8:30-9:00am Morning work
- 9:00-10:00am Math
- 10:00-10:15am Snack/recess
- 10:15-11:30am Literacy Block
- 11:30-12:00pm Lunch/Recess
- 12:15-1:30pm PE/Library/Art/Music
- 1:35-2:30pm Science/Projects
- 2:30-3pm Pack-up/Clean-up
- 3:00pm Go home
What If My Family Doesn’t Live in the Corvallis School District? Our vision is that MCCS will provide a unique educational opportunity for families who appreciate and want to be part of a small school in a rural setting. We welcome all families; however, charter school law states that children from the sponsoring home district have priority of enrollment if we have more applicants than seats. Approval of your resident school district office is not required for application or registration, and no transfer paperwork is necessary.
Thank you for visiting our site to learn more about us. Please come visit us in person!