Plano ISD presents proposed 9–12 Virtual and Hybrid Learning Academy, trustees press for safeguards

Plano Independent School District on Feb. 3 presented a proposal to create a Virtual and Hybrid Learning Academy for students in grades 9 through 12, a program-based model that would house online and hybrid offerings at each high school while keeping students connected to their home campus.

Stacey Singleton, director for expanded learning, told the board the program would provide “high quality flexible learning options for students while remaining fully aligned with state law, district expectations and our commitment to student success.” She said the district plans a phased rollout that begins with an interest survey for grades 8–11, revised policy language, a posted virtual-learning manual, and targeted professional learning for teachers over the summer.

The district described two delivery models: a full virtual model delivered in an adaptive online platform with daily progress monitoring and minimum logged hours, and a hybrid model that combines in-person courses at the student’s home campus with fully online courses. Singleton said students would remain tied to their home campus for support and extracurricular access, and that eligibility would require an application with review of academic history, attendance, discipline records and a parent or guardian commitment.

Trustees pressed district staff on implementation details. Trustee (speaker 4) asked how laboratory science and AP courses would be handled; staff replied that science lab requirements would be incorporated into the online curriculum selected and that “a lot of AP opportunities, but not all” could be available online, while dual-credit courses would generally not be offered virtually because those courses are controlled by colleges.

Board members also questioned whether virtual students would retain full access to extracurriculars and UIL. Dr. Courtney Gober, assistant superintendent for student success, said the state law (described in the presentation as Senate Bill 569) allows students in virtual programs to count for state funding and remain eligible for extracurricular activities, and the district is awaiting additional guidance from the state and UIL about specific athletics participation rules.

Several trustees emphasized eligibility safeguards. Stacey Singleton said the program will require a parent commitment and an application process intended to match students to the setting where they will succeed: “This process ensures students are well matched to the learning environment and supported from the very beginning,” she said. Staff added the district will ask students to remain in the virtual setting through the semester and will handle exceptions case by case.

District officials said the program is not intended to replace traditional on-campus instruction. Johnny Hill, presenting parts of the plan, reiterated that the district is proposing site-based programs at high schools rather than a single virtual campus and that virtual students will have Plano ISD student IDs and Skyward access. He said the district will finalize eligibility criteria, post materials online, and open registration in mid-March, with a planned summer of professional learning for teachers.

Next steps: the district will share the interest-survey results, post the draft virtual-learning manual, and return to the board with policy recommendations and more detailed implementation plans after receiving state guidance.

This article is based on the board presentation and discussion (topic introduction: SEG 1037; last related discussion: SEG 1660).