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Online academy leader outlines recovery plan after staffing cuts; board presses equity and special-ed concerns
Summary
COA program leaders described dramatic staffing losses in 2024 that reduced K-5 programming to a single instructor and drove enrollment declines; the presenter outlined a hybrid recovery approach for next year (expanded in-person options, stipend, Chromebooks) while trustees raised equity, transportation and IEP coordination questions.
A presenter representing the district's online academy told the board that the program's 2024 staffing reductions left COA with one instructor and forced a simplified program this year, which in turn drove families away. The presenter said district leaders are now rebuilding the program and plan to expand in-person opportunities and supports next year.
Key elements of the recovery plan include tuition-free online curriculum with a menu of optional in-person enrichment activities, provision of Chromebooks, and an approved-enrichment stipend (described in the presentation as $1,200 per family) to pay for vetted vendors such as music lessons or pottery. The presenter emphasized accountability and the district's intention to track proficiency and growth with three progress-monitoring assessments each year.
Board members asked detailed questions about equity and access: who will provide transportation to in-person activities, how to ensure families who cannot attend in-person sessions are not excluded, and how co-enrollment with neighborhood schools will be scheduled. The presenter acknowledged those concerns and said transportation and vendor stipend details remain under review.
Trustees also pressed on special education supports in the COA model and the logistics of providing IEP/504 services across multiple buildings. The presenter said that individual education plans remain managed by students' home schools and that the district is planning to reallocate staff time as COA enrollment grows. Administration noted a plan to begin Medicaid billing next year to recover additional eligible service costs.
Board members said the program has potential as a revenue source if sufficiently sized but cautioned that delivering equitable, high-quality instruction requires additional staffing and administrative capacity. Several trustees asked the administration to return with detailed cost comparisons (COA vs. brick-and-mortar) and a transportation equity analysis before finalizing next year's rollout.
