Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Programs topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Bryan ISD explores hybrid online academy and optional flexible school day under new state rules
Summary
Trustees heard proposals to offer a hybrid online academy that pairs AP/dual-credit online courses with in-person CTE and extracurricular options, and an optional flexible school day program to serve students with nontraditional schedules; staff plans a December follow-up and a grant application to support planning.
District leaders told trustees on Nov. 12 they are exploring two pathways to expand online and hybrid learning now permitted under recent state legislation.
Dr. Ibarra (presentation lead) said the district is considering a hybrid online academy focused on college and career readiness that would allow students to take AP and dual-credit classes online while attending in-person for CTE, fine arts and athletics. Laura King and the CTE team said the model would let students keep hands-on CTE sequences while completing other coursework remotely. Staff noted possible Lasso grant funding from the Texas Education Agency to assist planning and launch.
A second model — an optional flexible school day program — would target secondary students whose schedules or family responsibilities make a traditional school day impractical. Staff described the program as a way to legitimize existing informal arrangements, allow districts to collect ADA for students completing courses at nontraditional times, and to centralize enrollment under an existing campus number (for example MC Harris) to simplify FTE accounting.
Staff said new legislative language (Senate Bill 569 discussed in the presentation) permits such blended models without requiring a separate campus authorization when programs are nested under an existing campus. The district will seek UIL clarification about eligibility and how students participating in hybrid or online programs would be attached for athletics and fine arts participation.
Trustees asked about teacher assignments, ADA counting, and how extracurricular participation would work; staff said teachers would be elective participants (no coercion), that the district expects to use existing staff and possibly offer earlier/later periods or stipends, and that students would be enrolled at a campus selected by the board so assessments and accountability are tracked appropriately.
Staff plans to survey families for interest and return an application for the optional flexible school day program at the December board meeting, along with more detailed enrollment and implementation proposals.
