Bremerton charter school Catalyst expanding to add high school classes

BREMERTON — Beginning next fall, Kitsap's first and only charter school, Catalyst Public Schools, will expand to serve ninth graders, which brings families a new option when choosing a high school.

As the school's current building on Ironsides Avenue in Manette is filled to capacity, Catalyst's high schoolers must be housed at another site rather than the former Manette Elementary School building. While a plan hasn't been finalized, Catalyst and Olympic College are negotiating an agreement that could bring Catalyst's high school students to OC's Bremerton campus, according to the two schools.

Following the expansion next year, Catalyst will open 10th grade in the 2025-2026 school year, 11th grade for 2026-2027 and eventually become a K-12 school in fall 2027, according to co-founder of Catalyst Public Schools Amanda Gardner.

"Our expansion primarily enables us to meet the needs of the students we currently serve," Gardner said.

Catalyst is working with families to determine what percentage of currently enrolled students will choose to continue at Catalyst for ninth grade. Then the school will know whether it has open seats and can accept new applications, Gardner said.

Possible partnership offers high schoolers access to college campus

Olympic College is excited about the potential partnership with Catalyst, OC's Vice President of Instruction Martin Cockroft said. Many details will need to be worked out before an agreement is in place, he also said.

"We seek to work closely in support of K-12 partners in our service area, and we have seen the benefits of this kind of agreement with Cedar High School operating at our Shelton campus," Cockroft said.

The benefits include exposing high school students to college academic pathways, a wide range of academic transfer and professional technical programs, and providing opportunities for high school teachers to collaborate with college faculty on student projects and field work, Cockroft said.

Small-size high school intended to support students

Wherever the students could end up taking classes, Catalyst's high school won't be large.

The school's high school model is "small by design" with an aim to create a close learning community where students can remain seen by faculties to ensure their academic success, Gardner explained. The high school will have low student-teacher ratios to make sure students receive the academic and emotional support they need to succeed, Gardner said.

"We see our program as a high quality option for families and students that — for a variety of reasons — may not be comfortable or interested in attending one of our region's large, traditional, public high schools," Gardner said. "We are guided by input from our families who tell us that access to a high-quality public high school option that centers around a tight knit community is something that is needed in our area."

At Catalyst, ninth and 10th graders will lead their own learning by working through academic content on their own and in teams. Teachers will then use a tutorial method to provide instruction in small groups. 

In 11th and 12th grades, students will take their remaining credits via Running Start, the state's program that allows high school students to take college courses and earn high school and college credits at the same time.

"Our goal in the high school is to ensure that all students graduate with a significant number of college credits accrued and an offer letter to a college — or an industry-ready credential to a high-growth job — in hand," Gardner said.

Founded in 2020, Catalyst Public Schools is the first and only charter school located in Kitsap County.

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Catalyst Public Schools, Kitsap's only charter school, to expand