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Belton ISD outlines 9–12 virtual‑school pilot; trustees probe enrollment, participation and costs
Summary
District leaders proposed a fall 2026 9–12 virtual/hybrid pilot (target 75 students) that would allow participants to remain tied to home campuses for UIL/CTE, require state-aligned curricula and Texas-certified teachers, and carry a high-end vendor cost estimate of about $2,800 per student.
Belton ISD leaders presented a plan May 18 to launch a 9–12 virtual/hybrid pilot in the fall, describing community feedback, enrollment targets, vendor-selection criteria and financial considerations.
Why the pilot: district staff cited a recent SWOT analysis and a parent survey (385 total responses, 170 high-intent responses) showing demand for flexible learning options for reasons including need for a quiet/focused environment, flexible scheduling, academic acceleration and medical reasons. Staff said 69–80% of likely respondents indicated they would prefer to remain tied to a home campus and participate in UIL activities, which the district views as an advantage over other fully virtual providers.
Scope and selection: the pilot is intended for grades 9–12 only, with a target enrollment of about 75 students initially. Staff emphasized the program will be run as a controlled pilot with a success-evaluation rubric that includes student success measures, engagement, funding impact and alignment to state criteria. Potential partners must be 100% TEKS-aligned, provide Texas-certified teachers and offer a comprehensive course catalog including core, AP, dual-credit, honors and CTE options.
Student participation in activities: staff explained hybrid or full-time options. Hybrid students would attend in-person for certain parts of their day (for example, UIL, fine arts, lab-based CTE) and the district would expect daily engagement and minimum minutes for attendance (the district stated a four-hour daily minimum to meet attendance and engagement requirements). For out-of-district transfers, staff described existing transfer and UIL residency rules (one-year residency requirement for varsity athletics; hybrid in-person minutes can be used to establish residency).
Costs and staffing: staff presented a range of vendor pricing, noting the highest example reviewed was about $2,800 per student annually; for a capped pilot of 75 students that would be a high-end expense of roughly $216,000. The district said it expects to hire one virtual-program coordinator for program management. Staff also modeled potential returns using the basic allotment per student and noted the pilot must be financially evaluated.
Questions from trustees during a lengthy Q&A addressed daily attendance rules, self‑paced coursework, vendor pricing models, selection criteria and whether the pilot would recapture students who had left the district for other virtual options. Staff confirmed applications open immediately, close June 3, and selection/notification is planned mid-June; vendor interviews and parent information sessions (including Spanish sessions) were scheduled in the days after the meeting.
Trustees did not vote to launch the program at the meeting; staff emphasized the plan is a small, evaluative pilot that would return for additional approvals after evaluation and selection of a vendor.
