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District to open Mat Su Hybrid Learning Academy at new Mat Su Central facility; new school code seeks state funding parity
Summary
The school board approved creating a new school code for a Mat Su Hybrid Learning Academy to capture in-person funding for hybrid courses offered at the new Mat Su Central facility; district staff invited the assembly and public to an April 4 ribbon cutting.
The Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District told the assembly and school board on March 25 that it will establish a Mat Su Hybrid Learning Academy at the recently completed Mat Su Central facility and pursue a separate school code so in-person hybrid instruction can be funded under the state—s formula.
"Because of this funding formula thing ... we do not get any in person funding for a student who is receiving in person learning at a correspondence school," Superintendent Katie Traini said, explaining that Mat Su Central previously operated under a correspondence school code and that DEED (the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development) treats correspondence codes differently in the foundation formula. "What the board has approved is the creation of a new school code. It's not a new school building. It will be housed in the new Mat Su Central Building just like it has always been. But it will operate as an in person school, not a correspondence school."
Why it matters: District staff said correspondence (homeschool) enrollment has grown from roughly 14% pre-pandemic to about 18% at the start of the current year, increasing the share of students not fully included in earlier steps of the state funding formula. The hybrid school code is intended to allow students who participate in structured in-person coursework at Mat Su Central to be included in funding calculations for the portion of time they attend in person.
Program and rollout: District staff described the Hybrid Learning Academy as a continuation and expansion of existing hybrid options that have operated at Mat Su Central for nearly two decades. The change is primarily administrative (a new school code) and programmatic; district leaders said students— day-to-day experience will not change but the separate code should allow the district to capture appropriate state funding for in-person programming. Staff said the building is near operational, with staff and students already moving in and furniture deliveries underway, and invited officials and the public to a ribbon-cutting at Mat Su Central on April 4 at 1 p.m.
Course offerings and intent: Administrators said the hybrid program will start by asking families which classes they want and that career and technical education (CTE) courses are likely to be in high demand among correspondence families. Traini and other district leaders pointed to existing CTE capacity across the valley and said hybrid offerings could use underutilized facilities and off-peak hours to expand course access.
State approval: Staff said they have discussed the new code with the DEED commissioner several times and are waiting for final written confirmation that the code will be approved and that funding rules will allow the district to treat the hybrid academy as an in-person school for funding steps that apply to students attending in person.
Ending: School board and assembly members praised the intent to expand choice and CTE access; district staff said they will pursue DEED approval, start a marketing campaign for the new academy and follow up with schedule and enrollment details as the program launches.
