Board hears plan for new virtual prep academy and rebrand of Black Canyon school as choice academy

Emmett School District leaders presented a two-part plan at the board meeting: a district-run Virtual Prep Academy to deliver flexible, online and hybrid learning, and a rebranding/repurposing of Black Canyon into a graduation-focused academy for students at risk of not graduating.

Virtual Prep Academy details: Superintendent Woods said the district is finalizing partnerships with established providers including BYU Online and other K–12 virtual providers. Superintendent Woods described three program tracks: fully virtual courses, boxed curriculum options for homeschool families, and a hybrid option for blended learning. The district reported 65 currently retained online students in grades 7–12 and set a launch goal of 50 enrolled students on day 1 in August. "We want to meet students where they're at," Woods said.

Partnerships and funding: Woods said the district has begun talks with College of Western Idaho (CWI) and other providers, and that the district will hire a director for online learning after spring break. Administrators estimated that, depending on curriculum costs and Average Daily Attendance (ADA) funding, the district could retain revenue per virtual student; one finance figure presented suggested a possible net of about $4,000 per student after curriculum costs, though trustees asked for more precise budget modeling.

Black Canyon academy conversion: Administration proposed changing Black Canyon’s mission from a behavior-placement model to an academy of choice focused on credit recovery and graduation pathways, serving primarily grades 9–12. The new academy would use interviews for admission rather than placement solely on behavior and emphasize personalized learning plans and flexible scheduling. "Students will be interviewed and seek a pathway to graduation," an administrator said.

GED and CWI collaboration: The district described a recently restarted GED program in partnership with CWI that serves adults and under-21 students who need an alternative path to a diploma. The presenter said the GED site had 22 adults and about 18 under-21 students progressing through GED levels, and described that collaboration as especially important in a region with workforce needs.

Trustee concerns: Trustees asked about competition with private or regional online providers and whether the district would offer CTE courses; administration clarified the district would not initially provide CTE through the Virtual Prep Academy where it conflicts with existing partner agreements. Trustees also asked about marketing, enrollment outside Gem County, and whether families would be required to provide a learning coach at home for younger students in fully virtual tracks.

Next steps: The board did not vote on the proposals but asked administration to return with final curriculum offerings, a director hire timeline, and detailed budget projections and enrollment targets to support launch planning.

Ending: Trustees generally supported proceeding to the next steps. Administration will finalize the director hire and return to the board with concrete program offerings and a marketing/enrollment plan.