Greendale Global Academy previews pilot, seeks charter authorization Jan. 26

Chris Del Ponte, the administrator overseeing Greendale Global Academy, told the Greendale School Board that the academy has formed a governance board, adopted bylaws and launched a pilot program while preparing a charter contract for board approval at its Jan. 26 meeting.

“Our purpose is that we as Greendale Global Academy are on the journey to becoming a free public 6‑12 charter school within Greendale Schools,” Del Ponte said, describing a mission focused on flexible, student‑driven pathways.

Del Ponte said the pilot—run in partnership with Arizona State University Prep Digital—served eight students in its first semester and expects to add nine new students for a total of 15 next semester. Marita, identified as a success coach and governance‑board member, described day‑to‑day support for pilot students and stressed skills the program develops for virtual learning, including time management and communication.

Erin Dumbert, vice president of the governance board and a parent in the pilot, said the program had allowed her daughter—who takes one in‑person course and otherwise studies via independent study—to remain engaged in school activities while accommodating medical and learning challenges. “For her, that’s really valuable,” Dumbert said.

Superintendent Amidzick and district staff reviewed a draft charter contract in the board packet. The contract, as presented, would make the academy an instrumentality of the Greendale School District: enrolled students would be reported as resident or open‑enrollment students and district revenue associated with those students would be collected by Greendale Schools and distributed to the academy governance board, while the governance board would retain school‑level decision authority under the contract.

The contract includes an admissions process for grades 6–8 with random selection when applications exceed seats and a priority for current Greendale students and residents (priority not to exceed 10% of total enrollment). District staff said they will bring the recommended charter contract to the board for possible approval at the board’s Jan. 26 meeting; if approved, the academy could apply for charter school grant funding as an independent organization.

Board members asked about student fit and retention; Del Ponte and Marita said some pilot participants returned to in‑person settings after trying a fully virtual model and that the program incorporates an easy transfer process because the students remain district students.

The board did not vote on charter authorization at this meeting; administration said board action on the contract will be on the Jan. 26 agenda and that the governance board will continue outreach and grant resubmission efforts.