Rooted School is a free, public charter high school in Washington and part of a nationally recognized school network with strong graduation outcomes. Rooted School Vancouver opened in the 2022–2023 school year, serving students beginning in 9th grade.

We are committed to providing every student with equitable access to a high-quality education in a supportive, inclusive environment. With small class sizes, personalized learning, and daily social-emotional support, we honor each student’s identity, experiences, and goals - preparing them to thrive in school and contribute meaningfully to the Southwest Washington community.

We provide work- and college-ready students to industry partners who are seeking thoughtful, creative and innovative, technical thinkers and doers who can execute projects within a collaborative environment guided by “coaches” (teachers and industry experts). Students engage in real world projects and scenarios with our local experts and community members as they learn soft and technical skills valuable to their college and career aspirations. Each sector – industry partner and educational partner – brings opportunity to shift the financial trajectory of youth towards a career path of benevolence, service, and an actual career “ladder” that will lead each student into and beyond the middle class.   

We offer students a local-focused, learning community that engages businesses to partner with us and more importantly, to become a Green Balloon Fellowship (GBF) partner.  21st Century businesses already know and have the data that supports the value of diverse employees – by gender, by income, by race, by philosophy, and by achievement – on their bottom line.  Truly, “diversity” is key to success for everyone in our community

We will use a competency-based grading system.  

·       Students will receive a grade based on how well they demonstrate a particular skill or content standard.

·       Students are evaluated on a 4-point scale; developing, emerging, proficient, and finally, mastery. Although RSV does not use traditional letter grades, our grading system will still translate to a traditional GPA for student transcripts and applications to college. 

Yes! As a public school in SW Washington, RSV is authorized by the state. Therefore, students’ transcripts have the same standing as any other public high school. At RSV, students earn a minimum of  24 credits in order to graduate, and our transcript is recognized for acceptance into colleges and universities. Additionally, our students have the unique opportunity to earn industry credentials, as well as college credits, that help build their resume while still in high school!

All Rooted School Vancouver students will receive free C-Tran passes in order to bus to school. Parking is also available for drop-offs/pick-ups.

Yes! RSV provides all Special Education services identified in a student’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP), and is committed to providing these services in the most inclusive environment. RSV’s Special Education Lead, will serve as a Case Manager for students who receive services, and we will contract for other related service providers.

Our school week will be Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 8:30am-4:00pm and Wednesday 8:30am-12:35pm, with a unique daily structure that incorporates time for community building, interdisciplinary learning, student designed learning experiences., and homework support. School days begin with the chance for students to check in with themselves, teachers, and other staff members. Time is then dedicated to team taught core classes and deep, investigative learning. This is followed by time devoted to student-directed learning, where students are guided by teachers in designing their own explorations and learning experiences. Longer blocks of time will allow students to investigate content from multiple perspectives, as well as deepen relationships among subjects.

RSV will enroll 140 - 9th-12th grade students for the 2026-2027 school year. If interest exceeds these numbers, a public lottery will be held Spring 2026. Following the lottery, a waitlist will be based on the order in which applications were received. However, if not all 140 spots are filled, students are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

YES! Charter schools are a type of public school. Like all public schools, they are open to all students, tuition-free, publicly funded, staffed by certified teachers, and held accountable to state and national standards. In exchange for greater accountability, teachers and principals are given more flexibility to be innovative in their teaching methods and curriculum that improves student learning. Charter schools offer more flexibility with staffing, a typical school day and length of the school year.

Public charter schools are free and open to ALL students and their families. In many communities, traditional public schools are meeting the needs of local students. But not all communities are succeeding equally. In Washington, African American, LatinX and Native American Students are scoring between 15-20 percent lower on state assessments. According to initial state-wide assessment data, students at Washington’s public charter schools are making impressive gains in reading and math.

Public charter schools are funded based on student enrollment, just like district public schools. If a student transfers from another public school to a charter public school, the costs and funding associated with educating that student follow that student to the charter school. Like any public school, charter public schools depend on a mix of federal and state funding, with some schools having privately fundraised budgets. Unlike local district schools, charter schools do not receive support from local property tax levies. 

Charter public school teachers must be certified, just like teachers at other public schools. Charter public school teachers have the right to unionize and collectively bargain for pay, benefits, and working conditions, just like teachers at other public schools. Teachers at charter public schools earn salaries competitive with traditional public schools and receive state employee benefits.

*We acknowledge the work of Whatcom Intergenerational High School’s FAQ communication page as foundational to Rooted School Vancouver’s FAQ page. Thank you WIHS!