Bastrop ISD board approves application to continue Optional Flexible School Day Program at Genesis High School

On June 17 the Bastrop Independent School District Board of Trustees voted to submit an application to the Texas Education Agency to continue an Optional Flexible School Day Program (OFSDP) at Genesis High School for the 2025–26 school year.

Reyna Ellis, the district’s director of college, career and military readiness, presented the program and answered board questions before the vote. Ellis said the OFSDP serves students at risk of dropping out and that districts must apply annually to TEA to operate the program. She described the local identification and intake process: a student must meet at least one statutory criteria for being at risk, meet with a counselor and administrator, secure written parent (or student, if 18) permission, and be approved by a designated administrator before beginning Genesis programming.

Ellis gave preliminary 2024–25 outcomes for Genesis High School: total enrollment of 319 students; an increase of 29 students from the prior year; 242 graduates (an increase of 24 graduates); approximately 1,902 credits earned; 37 coded as withdrawn; 40 returning students; and about 30 transfers out. She described the program schedule (Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.), staffing (approximately 7.5 teachers sharing space and campus services with CIRCA), and supports including counseling, pregnancy-related services and special education as needed.

Ellis said the district agrees on the application to administer required statewide assessments (including STAAR), to provide comparable instructional materials and facilities, and to ensure students are not isolated from other academic and vocational programs. She noted that participating students may be ineligible for University Interscholastic League (UIL) activities if they do not meet UIL credit thresholds.

After the presentation the board chair called for a motion. A trustees’ motion to approve submission of the OFSDP application was seconded and approved by voice vote; the board recorded no roll-call vote on the record.

The approval allows BISD to file the required application with TEA and to operate the Genesis OFSDP under the district’s existing local procedures and designated administrator approvals. Staff said they will continue to monitor programmatic outcomes and required reporting to TEA.

Ending: The public hearing portion closed after board questions and the approval; no public comment was recorded during the hearing.