Henry County School Board approves in-district principal for Digital Academy and contract with Elevate K12

The Henry County School Board voted Oct. 2 to hire an in-district principal for the Digital Academy of Florida and to approve a contract with Elevate K12 to provide online instruction for unfilled core classes, with both measures approved by voice vote.

Board action came at a special meeting called so the district could place staff and instructional resources in an online program that state officials flagged for turnaround oversight. The superintendent told the board the Digital Academy is under a turnaround status with the Florida Department of Education Bureau of School Improvement and that adding a district employee to monitor academic progress was a condition of the approved turnaround plan.

The superintendent said the in-district principal position will be a district employee but “will be funded through DAOF funds,” and described the hire as budget-neutral for Henry County Schools. The superintendent also summarized a separate request to contract with Elevate K12, saying, “If you ask me today what the biggest issue we had in Henry County Schools, I would tell you, it was the teachers that we don't…