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Dallas Community School moves into new high school space By DAVID HAYES I-O Editor

For Dean Burwash, the grand opening of a high school building for Dallas Community School students has been a decade in the making. The senior has been homeschooling with Dallas Community School since second grade when his family helped launch the alternative learning option. “My family made a home-schooling group that consisted of eight families. We worked with the district for curriculum then started DCS to help people who are homeschooling their kids. It kinda cascaded into high school,” Burwash said after holding one end of the ribbon during the cutting, officially christening the school as open Jan. 10. “It’s pretty cool and exciting to have a real school on its own, not just a get together of home schoolers.” The Dallas Community School acquired the former Wells Fargo Bank from Polk County in February of 2024. Located across the street from their current location on Main Street, Executive Director Andy Johnson said their budget to purchase and renovate the building was just under $500,000. Johnson said Dallas Community School has grown to now include 59 high school students and 260 overall, including its K-8 program. This is their first year with students in all four high school grades. “This is a super exciting day. This is amazing. We’re seeing the work of my staff, the culmination of a lot of time and energy. The kids are all excited to have their own space,” Johnson said. “That entire student body was sharing the building across the street. For them to have space to breathe, to move around in is really cool to see.”

PHOTO BY DAVID HAYES

Junior Jadin Younger cuts the ribbon to officially open Dallas Community High School. The ribbon is held by Executive Director Andy Johnson (left) and senior Dean Burwash, who has attended the community school since second grade. Johnson explained the Community School partners with Dallas School District to run its programs “The Dallas School District has been an incredible partner. They sponsor us. We run autonomously and there are a lot of things we do with them,” Johnson said. “We definitely wouldn’t exist without Dallas. At the same time, we serve the same population as the Dallas School District.” What sets the Community High School apart is its hands-on, project-based learning programs. “For example, math students might learn probability by creating a game that uses dice. Or biology

of eight. McMorrow said the students have already settled in with projects set up in the back rooms, “where kids can get messy, learning along the way.” McMorrow, now in his 28th year teaching, came to Dallas Community School because he wanted something different for his own kids when they were old enough to enroll. “My kids will be here in two years. I thought, ‘This will be the opportunity.’ I think it’s a better way of learning,” McMorrow said. “The kids remember their projects. That’s how they remember skills we speak in, the math, the English. But they

this last year created an alien race and had to have it biologically correct. Earth science class creates the planet those aliens live on,” Johnson explained. The school then hosts a big exhibition at the end of every term that is open to the public to show off the work they did. “It’s pretty exciting,” he said. Most of the school’s students come from the Dallas area, but they also have some enrolled from as far as Albany, McMinnville and Salem. Ian McMorrow, assistant executive director, now in his fourth year with DCS, oversees a staff

remember it because it was their own project.” Johnson added their concept would never have worked without the support of the Dallas community. “We love being in this community and the support we’ve had overall has been incredible. It’s amazing how many people ask us questions, interested in what we do, want to even partner with us. We just love being here. It’s really fun,” he said. Johnson added, winking, it was no coincidence their two newest buildings are former banks. “It’s just what we do. If anyone knows of an empty bank, make sure you give us a call,” he said.

Schwarzler ready to hit the ground running as Indy’s new mayor Schwarzler’s career path to mayor of Independence traces back to her upbringing in nearby Alsea, Oregon, For the first time in 26 years, where she was born and raised on a the city of Independence will not ranch, the youngest of five girls. have John McArdle as its mayor. “It was a great way to grow up. A His replacement Kate Schwarzler, sworn into office last night (Jan. 14), great community to grow up in. It’s where I got my love for rural comknows McArdle will be a tough act munities,” she said. to follow. Her father, a pilot with United, “I respect the work he has done,” was also involved with the Schwarzler told the I-O in an interExperimental Aircraft Association view on a range of topics. “My out of the Independence State approach is not to try and fill his shoes. I joke I am bringing my own Airport. Her parents would move to the airpark there after they retired. shoes. They fit me well and they’re Schwarzler went off to school in pretty comfortable. They’ve got to be comfortable because we have hit Eugene to earn a degree in landscaping architecture. That opened doors the ground running.” By DAVID HAYES I-O Editor

of opportunity in both the public and private sector. After founding her own startup, she was accepted into an accelerator position in Boulder, Colorado. “That’s where I got bit by the entrepreneurship bug,” Schwarzler said. “I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would have. Around the same time, I started a consulting See MAYOR, page A3

PHOTO BY DAVID HAYES

New Independence Mayor Kate Schwarzler sits to chat with the I-O within Indy Commons with her threelegged companion, Winston.

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IN THIS ISSUE Voices Corrections Obituaries Puzzle Solutions Social Public Records Classifieds Puzzles

A4 A4 A4 B2 B2 B6 B4 A6

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Salem off Hwy 22 324 52 Ave NW West SalemofOR 97403 West of Salem off Hwy 22

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