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Parents and teachers urge Lakeville board to keep Lakeville Online Academy, saying program serves students with special needs
Summary
Several parents and an online academy teacher spoke during public comment to ask the board not to close Lakeville Online Academy, saying it provides essential, individualized support for students with learning differences and that low enrollment stems partly from low public awareness.
Multiple parents and a teacher addressed the Lakeville Area School Board during the Feb. 11 public-comment period urging the board not to close or shrink Lakeville Online Academy and asking the district to promote the program more actively.
Bill Fink, a Lakeville parent, said his son Liam, who attends Lakeville Online Academy, is autistic, has dyslexia and ADHD and has shown measurable academic growth in the district—s online program. "Lakeville Online Academy is the best thing ever," Fink said, adding that the program gives his son a mix of structured teacher time and one-on-one learning coach support at home.
Carrie Sabor, a second- and third-grade teacher at Lakeville Online Academy, read a statement from another parent who could not attend and described how families benefit from local online options. The parent statement said the local program—s teachers provide flexible, individualized supports, weekly meetings and teacher office hours and called for more outreach to raise awareness among families.
Parent Kiara M. described her daughter—s prior reading struggles and said the online program had moved her daughter off a "high-risk" reading designation in fall testing; she described the academy—s daily structure and the learning-coach partnership as reasons the child improved quickly.
Speakers asked the board to avoid equating low enrollment with lack of need and proposed increased advertising and community outreach so families who would benefit can find the district-run online option. The teacher and parents said the program allows the district to serve students locally who need a different instructional setting or additional parental coaching time and worried that losing the local online option would push families elsewhere.
Ending: The board took public comment during the meeting; presenters said they wanted the district to preserve Lakeville Online Academy and to increase outreach and local advertising. No board action on the program was recorded at the Feb. 11 meeting.
