Board approves updated service agreement with Payette River Technical Academy, signs off on charter amendments

The Emmett School District Board of Trustees on a unanimous vote approved a revised service agreement with Payette River Technical Academy and accepted two charter amendments that allow PerTA to offer online high-school academic courses to grades 8–12. The board also agreed to annual review and continued financial oversight of the academy.

Board members said the updated agreement raises PerTA’s per‑student service fee to better reflect current costs and adds clearer payment and reporting timelines so the district is not unexpectedly left carrying program costs. A draft in the meeting materials showed the academy’s standard service fee had been raised from about $70,000 to about $93,000 for the coming year; the agreement also includes a per‑course administrative fee intended to offset a roughly $30-per-class shortfall the district had experienced under prior arrangements.

District staff described the changes as a negotiated compromise to preserve the district’s role as authorizer while limiting direct competition for in-person career-technical education. The charter amendments the board approved add a clause explicitly authorizing PerTA to deliver online academic courses for high-school credit to students in grades 8–12; the changes also reiterate that PerTA remains an authorizer‑overseen program and must meet financial reporting requirements.

Trustees discussed oversight: the board will receive budget information regularly and can require additional reporting if questions about solvency or contractual compliance arise. Staff said the academy would present quarterly financial reports and that the district would continue its authority to withhold authorization if the academy fails to meet solvency conditions. Board materials noted one-time payments expected from PerTA this fiscal year — staff said they anticipated receiving a payment of roughly $76,000, with a second payment of about $50,000 to follow — and that future billing methods were adjusted so amounts align with fiscal accounting requirements.

Formal action came after a motion to approve the service agreement and a separate motion to approve the charter amendments. The motions carried by voice vote with no members recorded as opposed.

The district’s role as authorizer remains central to the outcome: while the board signaled willingness to preserve the partnership, trustees also stressed that authorization comes with an obligation to ensure PerTA’s financial stability and program compliance. If the academy cannot meet financial obligations or state requirements, staff reminded the board it can revoke authorization under state rules.

Board members said they would monitor implementation of the new billing and reporting procedures over the coming year and that the January review will be a checkpoint to decide whether to continue or change the district’s contract commitments.