Lewisville ISD administrators briefed the Board of Trustees on the district’s Optional Flexible School Day night program — known as Knight School — reporting a record 44 graduates in 2025 and steps to recruit more part‑time students.

The night program serves at‑risk ninth through 12th graders and students who have dropped out, administrators said. Deanna Gurdy, associate principal at Lewisville Learning Center and Knight School principal, said the program enrolls students age 16 and older and offers accelerated credit; students can earn a half credit every 4½ weeks and the night schedule runs Monday through Friday from 2:05 p.m. to 7:20 p.m.

“Part of that program is that we are to provide the board with an update each year,” Gurdy told trustees. “All of our students are at least 16 years old…this program has been in place since 02/2010.”

Why it matters: Knight School is a district option intended to recover students who otherwise would not graduate. The presentation emphasized both outcomes — graduates and recovered students — and the program’s operational limits, such as staffing and classroom capacity.

Board members and administrators highlighted results and challenges. Gurdy said Knight had 44 graduates this year and 24 attended graduation; staff also reported recovering 28 students who had been on the dropout list. She said 140 students participated in dual enrollment this year and that students from every LISD high school attended Knight School.

Trustees asked for reasons part‑time enrollment trailed full‑time enrollment this year. Gurdy said both the principal’s and the counselor’s roles were new this year and that counselor outreach to campus counselors will increase next year to publicize Knight School’s options. “One of the things that we are working on is our counselor, Ms. Curry, she's also gonna go out and talk to the counselors at the other schools herself so that they are aware of what we can offer,” Gurdy said.

Program resources and capacity: Knight School reported four full‑time teachers, shared counseling resources, and use of the Lewisville Learning Center for space. Administrators described limits on class size and staffing: “We have 4 full time teachers…if we were to get 15 to 18 in a class times 4 times 2…anything more than that would really be pushing it,” Gurdy said.

Trustees and public commenters praised the program’s individualized support and noted personal stories of students who graduated after re‑enrolling in night school. Trustee Stacy Barker emphasized that students who use the program are not a single “type” and praised the individualized teacher and counselor support that helped students graduate. Trustee comments also noted that Knight School counts toward the district’s graduation rates depending on cohort reporting.

Next steps: Administrators said they will continue outreach to campus counselors and maintain recruitment efforts; they also reported early interviews for the next school year and that 11 students had already committed to return.

The presentation closed with board members thanking Knight staff for outreach and graduation work and noting the program’s role in the district’s broader graduation strategy.