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State Board approves requests from Alpine and Crown King to add high school instruction
Summary
The Arizona State Board of Education approved two rural elementary districts—Alpine and Crown King—to offer high school instruction under ARS 15-447, granting Alpine a three-year probationary AOI status under ARS 15-808 and approving Crown King’s request to add grades 9–12 beginning 2026–27.
The Arizona State Board of Education on April 27 approved requests from two remote elementary districts to expand instruction to include high school grades.
Alpine Elementary School District Superintendent Dennis Cook asked the board to authorize an online high school under Arizona Revised Statute 15-447, proposing an initial cohort of about two to six students and use of the Edmentum EdOptions platform with district proctoring and safeguards. Cook said Alpine would provide Chromebooks, hotspots as needed, local proctoring for statewide assessments, and a 22-credit diploma pathway. The board approved Alpine’s request and granted the district probationary Arizona Online Instruction (AOI) status for three years under ARS 15-808 to allow program monitoring and review.
Why it mattered: Alpine is a very small, high‑altitude rural district that for safety and distance reasons said families have been forced to travel 30 miles or more to the nearest high school. The district argued adding an online high-school option run locally would keep students tied to their community while providing required coursework and supports.
Board members pressed on operational details. Dr. Clay asked how average daily membership (ADM) would be calculated for funding; Deputy Director DePonte said standard ADM procedures for AOIs apply and staff would follow up with the Arizona Department of Education on monthly progress versus the 100th‑day model. Members also questioned connectivity, extracurricular access, staff recruitment and the district’s plan for services for students with IEPs. Cook said Alpine will proctor assessments on site, offer hotspots where needed, contract with Edmentum for certified teachers of record, and use local staff as mentors and supports.
Crown King Elementary School District, represented by board president Christina Nisbet and head teacher Mrs. Spann, requested authorization to add grades 9–12 under ARS 15-447 for the 2026–27 school year. Crown King described a community of roughly 100–120 year‑round residents served by a single historic schoolhouse and said the commute to the nearest brick‑and‑mortar high school can be two to four hours daily on hazardous roads. The district proposed a blended model using ASU Prep Global virtual instruction, on-site co‑teaching and daily in‑person attendance, Cognia accreditation steps, dual‑enrollment opportunities, and local proctoring and support. The board approved Crown King’s request by voice vote.
Both approvals are administrative authorizations under ARS 15‑447; Alpine additionally received probationary AOI approval under ARS 15‑808 so the board and third‑party reviewers can monitor implementation and compliance during an initial period.
What’s next: The districts will finalize third‑party contracts, begin hiring or assigning on-site support staff, and return to the board or technical reviewers with implementation reports (Alpine will report at the end of its three‑year probationary period). The board’s approvals were voice votes; no roll-call tallies were recorded in the meeting transcript.
