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Kennedale ISD hears pitch from Open Ed for K–8 virtual program under 80/20 revenue-share
Summary
At its March board meeting, Kennedale ISD heard a detailed presentation from Open Ed proposing a K–8 virtual program that would bring homeschooled students into district enrollment under a revenue-share arrangement (district keeps 20% of state base aid). Trustees asked about accountability, UIL eligibility and special-education services; no partnership decision was finalized.
Grant Hewitt, a representative of Open Ed, told the Kennedale ISD Board of Trustees that his company can launch a K–8 virtual program for the district at no upfront cost and with the goal of recruiting homeschooled students into public enrollment.
"There is no cost to the district if I don't recruit a kid," Hewitt said, explaining the proposed revenue-share model: "the district keeps 20% and we take 80% to educate the child." He said Open Ed would front startup costs and operate under a contract that partners the company with a district-approved campus, providing licensed teachers, a marketplace of vetted curriculum and daily interactions designed to meet Texas attendance and accountability rules.
The presentation, which trustees placed in the board’s information section, emphasized that the program would not be a separate virtual school but a virtual program hosted within district campus structures. Hewitt said Open Ed aims mainly to recruit students who have been homeschooled and are not currently enrolled in public schools. He described wraparound supports including one-on-one tutoring, live clubs, regular synchronous events and an intervention process that begins after five consecutive days of nonengagement.
Trustees pressed on several practical points. One asked whether students in the program could participate in UIL athletics; staff clarified the program would be a K–8 partnership and initially would not include high-school athletics. Board members pressed about accountability and how program results would affect district test scores; Hewitt said the district would retain responsibility for student performance on state assessments and that Open Ed would align interim assessments to Texas standards and provide frequent checkpoints to monitor progress.
Questions about special education prompted additional detail. Hewitt said his company is a "program, not a school," and that the district would remain responsible for IEPs and special-education services; he added that Open Ed typically serves a small percentage of students with special needs and provides support teams to coordinate virtual delivery of services.
Multiple trustees said they wanted more time and a workshop to review contract language, instructional alignment and the potential budgetary impact before authorizing a partnership agreement to be considered at an upcoming meeting. Hewitt said he had already submitted a draft partnership agreement to the superintendent and would return if the district wanted to proceed.
The presentation did not result in a vote. Trustees asked staff to schedule follow-up information sessions and a workshop to examine academic and fiscal details before any formal partnership decision.
What happens next: The board will consider whether to schedule a workshop and whether to place any partnership agreement on a future agenda for formal consideration and possible approval.
