Chisago Lakes board approves Wildcat Academy online high school and posts coordinator position

The Chisago Lakes School District board voted to open Wildcat Academy, a full‑time online high school for grades 9 through 12, and approved posting a coordinator position to oversee the program.

Presenter (identified in the transcript as Speaker 5) told the board the district had 99 students currently enrolled completely online and that a survey of 357 families produced 83 who said they were “definitely yes” about enrolling full time. “This is the request, to open Wildcat Academy High School for grades 9 through 12 in fall,” the presenter said. The presenter described a target enrollment minimum of 20 students to make the program viable, with a planned cap of roughly 28–32 students to balance grades.

The presenter outlined a year‑one budget for the program: roughly $175,000 in startup expenses for staffing, curriculum and administrative supports, and a recurring curriculum cost of about $15,000 per year for the academy. At the board’s conservative enrollment scenario, the presenter said, 20 students would generate roughly $200,000 in revenue, leaving the program at a small net gain; a fuller enrollment would increase the net positive.

On logistics and timeline, the presenter said the district would post the application tomorrow, open the lottery on April 15, close applications May 2, notify selected families on May 5 and require confirmations by May 16. The presenter explained statutory constraints on the lottery, including employee preference and sibling priority, and noted the district would follow state special‑education timelines before school starts.

Board members asked about interaction with existing in‑district online options and ‘‘skinnies’’ (partial online courses taught at the high school); the presenter said the Wildcat Academy would be a separate, full‑time option that may use the same platform while allowing existing in‑building options to continue. On staff qualifications, the presenter said licensed teachers can hold a newer online delivery license (described in the meeting as a recently introduced license allowing certain tiered teachers to oversee online classes).

After discussion, the chair called for a motion; the board voted in favor by voice and then approved posting the coordinator position. The meeting record shows the motions passed without a recorded negative vote.

The board’s next steps, as presented, include launching a public application and information campaign and posting the coordinator job to support the program’s first school year.