District details Watson High virtual/hybrid proposal as a way to expand learning options

District leaders presented a plan to launch virtual and hybrid learning options attached to Watson High School to provide flexible course delivery and potentially recapture students not currently enrolled in the district.

Mrs. Stitt and Watson staff described four staffing and resourcing options that would allow the district to start with 40–60 students while complying with TEA limits (a campus program may not exceed 50% of current campus enrollment). They identified Edgenuity as the instructional platform, proposed a hybrid model (periodic in‑person touchpoints plus online coursework) as the preferred path to preserve campus oversight and testing logistics, and outlined possible staffing moves: reclassifying an existing FTE to a counselor, hiring an additional counselor, adding a special education teacher, or combinations thereof. Estimated revenue ranges were presented for each staffing scenario (examples: reclassify existing FTE could generate roughly $480,000–$605,000; adding a counselor estimated at $400,000–$525,000), with administrators noting ranges depend on student composition and TEA accounting rules.

Administrators stressed the program can be implemented using existing Watson staff for an initial offering (which avoids the TEA virtual campus application) but that a full virtual campus option would require additional TEA approvals not yet released. The board asked about capacity, staffing tradeoffs, funding ratios in vendor partnerships and the potential enrollment sources; presenters said they already have inquiries from families who withdrew to home school and that early outreach indicates interest.

No formal action was taken; the board scheduled further review and possible formal consideration in July. The administration recommended clarifying policy EHDE (local) to adopt attendance and daily progress language and to prepare TEA course uploads by July 15 if the pilot is to start in fall.