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Board tables plan for K–12 'Connect Academy' pending answers on transportation, special ed and staffing
Summary
The Parke Heritage School Board voted 6–1 to table creation of a K–12 Park Heritage Connect (virtual) Academy, citing unanswered questions about transportation, special-education services, staffing and enrollment targets before a fall launch.
The Parke Heritage School Board voted to table a plan to launch a K–12 Park Heritage Connect virtual academy after extended discussion about logistics and student services.
Superintendent Dr. Schimpf recommended naming Kristen Bonomo administrator for the Connect Academy and proposed a $75,000, 208-day contract beginning July 1, 2026, while outlining a hybrid model intended to secure full Average Daily Membership (ADM) funding (about $8,000 per student) if students meet in-person requirements. He told the board the district would likely start small—“we're probably going to start with a handful” of students, he said—while acknowledging many operational questions remained unanswered.
Board members pressed for specifics about where K–12 students would be housed, how special-education IEPs would be managed, who would build curriculum and handbooks, and whether classroom cameras would be used as part of remote instruction. The superintendent and other speakers stressed the district must clarify hybrid requirements to preserve funding: hybrid attendance, they said, would preserve full funding while fully virtual enrollment would not.
Multiple board members said they supported pursuing a virtual option in principle but not before the district could show detailed plans for transportation, staffing, special-education services and curriculum. One board member moved to table the item until the May meeting or until staff supplied the requested details; that motion carried 6–1.
The board also tabled a related item to extend testing/coordinator contract days for Beth Faust pending the same follow-up information. The superintendent framed the tabling as a step to allow staff to assemble a handbook and operational plan for the academy prior to approving administrators or additional contract days.
Next steps: the district staff will return with more detailed proposals addressing enrollment targets, transportation logistics, special-education responsibilities and a draft handbook before the board takes a final vote.
