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West Jefferson board OKs creation of district online school to retain local funding
Summary
The West Jefferson District board voted to establish a district-run online school so fully online students can be housed under West Jefferson's school code; administrators said 15—1 students could enroll this year and that the move helps the district retain state funding and keep students connected to local activities.
The West Jefferson District board voted to approve creating a West Jefferson online school and directed the superintendent to submit an application to the Idaho Department of Education.
Superintendent (identified in the record as Mr. Williams) told the board the designation would not require a new building but would create a school code in the state's IC data system so students who enroll fully online are counted and the funding remains with the district. He said the district expects 15 to 20 local students could enroll this year, which he said would cover the cost of an initial half-time teacher to oversee the program.
Why it matters: Under recent state guidance for counting fully online students, districts must create a school record to receive attendance-based funding for those students. Superintendent Williams said without a district online option, families can sign up with another district's online program and the per-pupil funding would leave West Jefferson.
Board members asked about special education services, calendar alignment and platforms. The superintendent said special education IEPs would remain in force for West Jefferson students and that face-to-face therapies could be scheduled as needed; he described using IDLA (Idaho Digital Learning Alliance) for some secondary coursework and said the district is vetting online platforms for other grades. He also said K'8grade students in the district-run online school would follow the district calendar.
Costs and scale: The superintendent presented a budgeting estimate that raised the district's support units by about 0.7 and an operational increase of roughly $35,000; he said the district anticipates the program would be self-funding with about 15 students and a 0.5 full-time equivalent teacher initially.
Board action: A motion to approve establishing the West Jefferson online school was made, seconded and passed by voice vote; the transcript records "Those in favor? I. Any opposed? That motion passes," but the exact vote tally was not specified in the record.
Next steps: The superintendent will file the application with the Idaho Department of Education and return to the board with implementation details, platforms under consideration and a staffing plan.
