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Ontario SD 8C outlines EdFlex virtual programs, targets Sept. 22 start
Summary
The school board heard a detailed plan to launch two virtual options — EdFlex Ontario (district program) and EdFlex Oregon (separate school code) — with a planned Sept. 22 start, startup costs of about $25,000–$29,000 and embedded student supports and progress monitoring.
The Ontario SD 8C board on a regular meeting heard a presentation on plans to launch two virtual-program options intended to retain local students and expand course access.
Jody, who led the presentation, said the district will offer EdFlex Ontario as a district program that keeps students as "Ontario Tigers" and EdFlex Oregon as a separate school identification requiring an Oregon Department of Education application. "People want this option, and if we don't provide it, they're gonna go somewhere else and get it," Jody said, explaining part of the rationale for building local capacity.
The district set a target start date of Sept. 22 for early enrollees and estimated initial startup costs at about $25,000 (Chromebooks and licenses) with a maximum startup cost around $29,000. Jody told the board the number of newly enrolled students needed to cover the initial cost was only three and that current enrollments already exceed that threshold.
Jody described program features designed to maintain academic integrity and student support. Testing options include on-campus testing, virtual testing and remote proctoring; the platform also provides embedded progress monitoring and a teacher/ adviser structure so companies' teachers and local staff can monitor attendance and progress. "Everything a student sees and does and every communication they have with the platform, the company, those teachers would see," she said.
The presentation stressed flexibility: some students may use the program as a hybrid — taking online classes while coming on campus for career-technical education, arts, clubs and athletics — while others may enroll full-time. Board members asked about sports eligibility and supports for students with special education needs; Jody said students in EdFlex Ontario would remain eligible for district activities "as long as you meet eligibility requirements just like anybody in brick and mortar." She added district staff are working with special education and other departments to adapt supports for virtual learners.
Board members raised operational questions about student recruitment, high mobility in virtual programs and the need for staff to handle attendance and transfer paperwork as enrollment grows. Jody said the district expects to hire additional staff if the program scales, citing examples from other districts that hired personnel specifically to manage attendance and paperwork for 300+ virtual students.
The board did not take a formal vote to adopt EdFlex Oregon at this meeting; Jody said the district will submit the application to the state and return to the board with enrollment metrics and operational details as the program develops. The presentation closed with a pledge to continue marketing, monitor initial fidelity, and report back as the district moves from Phase 1 (retention) into broader expansion phases.
The board's next steps: continue outreach and marketing, finalize the application steps for EdFlex Oregon following board reporting, and return with additional implementation details and staffing needs.
