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Alpine School District recommends keeping shared online programs in place through reconfiguration
Summary
In a May 20 study session, Alpine School District staff reviewed East Shore, state online options and other virtual programs, gave costs per credit and recommended that the three successor districts continue a shared-host model at least through 2030 to preserve access and minimize costs.
Alpine School District officials on May 20 urged the district and its successor districts to maintain a shared online-education arrangement — centered on East Shore — through at least 2030 to protect student access and control costs.
District leaders presented enrollment, staffing and finance details for East Shore, the state online education program (SOEP), Alpine Online, adult education and a short-term program called Explore. They recommended a shared-host model in which one district would operate East Shore and bill the other districts for completed credits, giving the three new districts time to plan their own approaches while preserving services for students.
The recommendation grew out of two priorities district staff cited: maintaining options for students who cannot attend traditional sites, and protecting educators who run those programs. Lynn Garrett, director over the alternative schools, told the board the programs serve students with mental or physical barriers to in-person learning, students needing remediation or acceleration, homeschooled students and those on long-term suspension.
East Shore operates as an asynchronous, open-entry program for grades 9–12 and offered 44 courses in the most recent school year. Staff said about 7,000–8,000 Alpine students took online courses last year; roughly half of Alpine graduates carry East Shore credit and about one in six seniors had at least one East Shore credit.
Staff presented a cost comparison to illustrate efficiency trade-offs: East Shore’s net cost per credit was about $300 after fees (about $430 per credit without fees) for the last full reporting year; the district’s purchases from the state online program (SOEP) ran about $846 per credit; summer school cost-about $550 per credit. East Shore fees (a $100 registration fee plus $5 per eighth‑credit that may be waived if completed in 30 days) covered roughly 30% of East Shore’s operational costs; the district funds the remaining 70%.
District employees outlined how East Shore is staffed (one administrator, 1.5 teacher FTE, a secretary, a developer, 16 noncontract teachers paid by blocks, plus hourly help-desk and virtual curriculum coordinators). Staff said the program’s curriculum is interactive and not designed to be dropped into a third‑party vendor model without substantial redevelopment.
Alpine Online — a district-run school that serves K–12 students including homeschoolers, medically homebound students and students on suspension — has four and a half teachers and uses the K12 platform for elementary students; staff reported recent vendor pricing changes that they expect will reduce costs going forward. Adult education (director identified as Kip) provides adult diplomas, GED preparation and English language classes; district and federal grants and Title I funding support portions of those programs.
Explore, a newer temporary program for students on long-term suspension, uses East Shore curriculum and daily teacher contact; staff recommended each new district create its own temporary discipline-placement option rather than continue Explore across district lines.
Staff offered two principal delivery options and several permutations: (1) a single hosting district operates East Shore and bills other districts for completed credit through an interlocal/shared‑services agreement (their recommended option); or (2) each district builds an independent program and shares curriculum where feasible. Staff also noted hybrid permutations (two districts together, one separate) were possible.
On finance mechanics, staff recommended charging for completed credits using ADM and per‑credit cost calculations, with the hosting district billing partner districts annually in a manner similar to how the state bills for SOEP. That approach, staff said, would give successor districts time to “get on their feet” while avoiding sudden service loss that could affect graduation outcomes.
Why it matters: East Shore and the district-run online and adult‑education options deliver thousands of credits to Alpine students and are woven into graduation pathways; disbanding them or forcing a rapid decentralization could raise per‑credit costs, reduce course availability and disrupt student supports and graduation timelines.
District staff said the recommendation includes a proposed commitment through 2030 to align with a building lease and to provide successor districts a predictable transition window. Staff emphasized additional data work was needed — particularly on counting enrollment and SPED and part-time students — before any final financial decisions were implemented.
