Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Virtual Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Lake Park Audubon board approves 3-year OpenEd contract to offer virtual option to homeschool families
Summary
The Lake Park Audubon board voted to approve a three-year contract with OpenEd to provide a virtual schooling option aimed at homeschool families, citing declining enrollment and the potential revenue boost; the vote followed questions about forecasting and staffing impacts.
The Lake Park Audubon School District board on March 24 approved a three-year contract with OpenEd to provide a virtual program option for homeschool families, a move administrators said could increase district revenue and expand services for students learning at home.
Board members discussed the contract for more than an hour, focusing on how revenue would be forecast and whether the arrangement could unintentionally become a long-term reliance for district budgets. The superintendent told the board the contract had been reviewed by the district attorney and that OpenEd agreed to negotiated contract changes.
Supporters argued the program would serve families who prefer homeschooling while giving students access to public-school curriculum and services. The OpenEd representative, Grant, told the board, “We are likely to only launch for 2 schools next year,” and emphasized the company’s experience and partner reporting practices. Grant said OpenEd provides staffing for courses and that some special-education support could still be required from district staff.
Opponents and cautious members pressed administrators on financial safeguards and how the district would use any new revenue. One member said the district should avoid using such funds for ongoing operating costs that could disappear if the contract ended. The superintendent responded that the contract is three years, and the district could discontinue it if it did not meet expectations.
The board conducted a roll-call vote after discussion. The chair called each member by name during the roll call; the motion carried and the board approved the contract. The superintendent said he would have a signable contract delivered to the district inbox that evening.
The approval authorizes administrators to finalize and execute the vetted OpenEd agreement and to begin onboarding the virtual program per the contract schedule.
Next steps: administration will receive the executed contract, coordinate launch logistics with OpenEd, and return to the board with implementation details and periodic reports as they are produced.
