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Greendale board approves planning authorization, seeks state planning grant for Greendale Global charter program
Summary
The Greendale School District board authorized formation of an independent-governance charter school, Greendale Global, and approved a planning grant application for $125,000 while discussing enrollment caps, special education funding and vendor relationships for online instruction.
The Greendale School District board voted to authorize formation of a charter school called Greendale Global and approved submitting a state planning grant application to support its launch.
District staff told the board the proposal envisions Greendale Global as an instrumentality of the district with an independent governance board that would contract for online course instruction and provide in-person supports. The planning grant application discussed at the meeting seeks $125,000 for planning; district staff said implementation costs could exceed $150,000 depending on how the program is scaled.
Mr. DelPonte, who has led stakeholder work on the proposal, told the board the model would combine primarily virtual instruction with regular in-person opportunities "for students to receive learning coaching" and social-emotional supports rather than only relying on devices at home. He said stakeholder feedback over two years emphasized flexibility for families, opportunities for face-to-face contact, and options for both Greendale resident students and those who open-enroll into the district.
Board members asked how the district would proceed if the grant is not awarded. District staff said the program is intended to be financially sustainable but the launch would be "a little more sticky" without grant funds; officials said the district could scale back initial professional development, train fewer staff initially, and phase in elements until membership revenue is established.
The board discussed special education arrangements and funding. Staff said the charter, as an instrumentality of the district, would fund special education services in the same manner as the district's brick-and-mortar schools; the board noted that exact regular vs. special-education seat allocations have not yet been determined and will be set before marketing seats to families.
On program size and outreach, staff said the district will target about 50–60 students in initial marketing and open only 60 seats the first year to manage impact on building capacity and to iron out operational issues. The district plans targeted outreach to home-school families, students in enrichment programs, and those currently enrolled in virtual programs in other districts. District staff said it would be the first program in the state to use that specific online instructional partner without a statewide subsidy and that ASU Prep’s instructional services would be self-pay for districts choosing to contract with them.
The board voted to authorize the relationship and approve submitting the planning grant application. The motion passed on a roll-call vote with all board members present voting yes.
Next steps include convening the independent charter governance board, refining the charter handbook (including co-curricular and graduation participation questions), determining seat allocations and staffing percentages, and returning to the board with additional details as the independent board develops the plan.
