Shakopee OKs one-year pact with Eden Prairie for supplemental online courses

The Shakopee Public School District board voted June 9 to approve a one‑year agreement with Eden Prairie Public Schools that will allow Shakopee students to take supplemental online classes through Eden Prairie Online while remaining Shakopee students eligible for a Shakopee diploma and extracurricular activities.

Assistant Superintendent Jim McClosic and online-program staff explained the contract, negotiated with Eden Prairie’s attorney, formalizes a path for students who want online supplemental coursework. McClosic said the arrangement will allow Shakopee to recover some per‑pupil state funding currently lost when students enroll with external providers and give families a consistent, vetted online option. Eden Prairie’s online program already serves over 700 full‑time online students, presenters said.

Under the one‑year agreement Shakopee students remain enrolled in Shakopee for diplomas and activities eligibility; Eden Prairie provides tuitioned online courses and the district retains a portion of funding for local services. McClosic said the district already had roughly 300 course requests cataloged and would begin moving students to Eden Prairie once logistics and placements are finalized.

Board discussion touched on start-up vs. buy decisions: board members and staff noted the large initial investment required to run a full in‑district online program and that Eden Prairie had a head start on building robust online offerings during and after the pandemic.

Motion and vote: The motion to approve the online agreement passed by voice vote (motion by Peterson; second by Brophy).