El Paso County could see a bevy of new education choices next year.
The school boards for Lewis-Palmer District 38 and District 49 approved the advancement of new potential multi-district online schools (MDOL) this week.
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If approved by the Colorado Department of Education, D-38 would add Williamsburg Academy Colorado to its school portfolio, while D-49 would develop and open the V.I.S.T.A. and Falcon Flex Academies.
The schools would provide students in grades 6-12 the face-to-face interactions and connections and programs that previous online schools have lacked.
D-49 Superintendent Peter Hilts told the board that the hybrid additions would help the district distinguish itself because “there isn’t anything like this in Colorado.”
“And I will tell you, as somebody who started one of these schools almost 20 years ago, this model will dominate high school, especially education, in 10 years. It’s coming,” he said during a Wednesday work session.
As the name implies, multi-district online schools allow the enrollment of students residing in school districts throughout the state. Falcon Zone Superintendent Brian Smith told board members that officials have heard from interested families in Peyton and Calhan.
Calhan District RJ-1 lacks its own MDOL, while Peyton District 23-JT runs the Peyton Online Academy in partnership with Jefferson Classical Academy of Colorado.
The Williamsburg Academy system, which opened in 2008, offers a blend of online classical curriculum, leadership courses and outdoor activities nationwide. According to an Oct. 6 presentation to D-38’s board, over 1,000 students are enrolled statewide in Colorado.
Students are taught by licensed teachers in person in most subjects twice per week and math and English language arts four times per week. The school also conducts outdoor programming on Fridays and hosts summer camps and family events. It conducts and complies with state-approved standardized tests, while giving families the option to opt out.
During his presentation, Williamsburg Academy Chief Operating Officer Adam Hailstone said older, established online schools have been an effective “asynchronous and self-paced model” for students seeking credit recovery or a fast track to their diplomas.
“Those students are definitely served by that model well; everyone else, it’s incredibly isolating,” he said. “You’re basically having, think about it, a software-based experience. So, you’re not having the connections.”
The school was most recently contracted with the Education ReEnvisioned Board of Cooperative Educational Services in Monument, which was forced to dissolve earlier this year.
The V.I.S.T.A. Flex Academy would primarily serve students in D-49’s POWER Zone, while the Falcon Flex Academy would be intended for Falcon Zone students. Unlike other school districts in the county, D-49 is divided into three innovation zones to better meet the needs of its various populations across different geographical regions.
If approved by the state, both flex academies would offer a hybrid model of instruction with in-person instruction for core classes and electives two days per week and two days of core classwork online.
Specifically, the schools would be managed by D-49 educators, use board-approved curriculum and state testing and provide on-site access to their area high school’s science labs, career, technical and engineering pathways, fine arts and student clubs.
The two schools would join the Sand Creek Zone’s Springs Studio for Academic Excellence and Pikes Peak Early College and GOAL High School, a statewide charter school, as MDOLs in D-49. They would differ, however, in providing their students access to existing extracurricular programs.
D-49 board member Mike Heil said he loved the idea and noted that his daughter opted for D-49’s Springs Studio but missed out on the full set of extracurriculars offered at the nearby Sand Creek High School.
“And so, you guys are addressing the major downside of choosing that kind of a school and I think that’s a terrific approach,” he said.
Hilts said the new schools would offer concurrent enrollment, college courses taken in high school, and that discussions have begun in the Springs Studio adopting some of these new models of instruction.
The proposals in both districts were given the OK for further consideration by their respective boards. D-49’s board will now approve or deny administration submitting applications to the state at its next regular meeting, while D-38 will continue to gather information before presenting its board with a similar vote.
While D-38 Superintendent Amber Whetstine stressed that the board’s decision on Monday didn’t equate to a finalized formal agreement, she did note that application deadlines for the state Board of Education are Jan. 2.
If approved, the three schools intend to begin operating in the 2027-28 school year.