The Del Valle ISD Board of Trustees voted unanimously to submit an Optional Flexible School Day Program (OFSDP) application to the Texas Education Agency and to enter a partner reimbursement arrangement with Graduation Alliance aimed at recovering students who have left school.

The OFSDP application, approved 8-0, will allow the district to offer schedule flexibility to students at Del Valle High School, the Del Valle Opportunity Center and the district alternative program (DAEP), administration said. The board voted 8-0 to add DAEP to the list of eligible campuses before submission.

Superintendent Dr. Gutierrez and Dr. Cantu, who presented the items, said the program is intended for a limited subset of students who require schedule flexibility because of personal, academic or family-related barriers. The district expects the OFSDP to be an option for a relatively small number of students initially and stressed it is not intended as a universal schedule change.

The board also approved a partnership with Graduation Alliance, a primarily online, self-paced program, to provide a dropout-recovery pathway for residents roughly ages 18–26. Administration estimated the district might ultimately recover “up to about 100 students” over time but expects an initial cohort of roughly 14–20 students at launch.

Graduation Alliance will be reimbursed based on credits earned by returning students rather than through an upfront district payment, presenters said. Under the arrangement described to the board, the district would forward state funds received for those credits to Graduation Alliance after TEA processes the submission and funding flows to the district.

Trustees who spoke in favor cited the opportunity to provide returning students a path to a Del Valle ISD diploma rather than a GED and noted the program’s flexibility could allow students to accelerate and complete needed credits more quickly.

The board voted to approve both items by a voice/show-of-hands vote, 8-0.