Facing competition, MPS aims to open online-only K-12 charter school for $5.38 million

Yahoo

27-01-2025

Next year, Milwaukee Public Schools could have a new K-12 charter school that operates fully online.
On Jan. 30, MPS school board members will vote whether to approve a five-year contract for the Milwaukee Virtual School.
If adopted, the contract would formalize MPS' existing online-only learning program created during the COVID-19 pandemic by turning it into a charter school beginning in the 2025-26 school year. As an instrumentality charter, the Milwaukee Virtual School would be operated by MPS staff using district funds.
The $5.38 million cost of the Milwaukee Virtual School includes staff salaries, technology and supplies, curriculum and other costs. All students will be provided with a Chromebook computer, according to the program proposal.
MPS intends to grow the virtual school's enrollment from 900 to 2,500 students in three years. It is designed for those who are "traditionally underserved" in the physical school environment, or need an online option due to safety, physical and mental health or family issues, according to the virtual school project proposal.
MPS wouldn't be impacted financially if it doesn't reach the goal enrollment of 2,500 students in three years, Interim Superintendent Eduardo Galvan told MPS board members during a committee meeting on Jan. 16.
"We expect to be able to meet those goals, and certainly mitigate any financial impact if we don't," Galvan said.
More: What are charter schools? Here's what charter schools are and how they work in Wisconsin
During the Jan. 16 meeting, MPS board member Missy Zombor shared specific concerns about student attendance and engagement with online classes.
"I just want to make sure that we're not approving something and then forgetting about it," Zombor said. "That we're being very intentional, especially in those first few years, to make sure that progress is happening."
According to the project proposal, virtual school students would take classes using a mixture of live instruction streamed via video camera, and "asynchronous," or self-paced online lessons. Students would be expected to meet with a mentor teacher each week about their progress.
In response to Zombor's questions, Interim Chief of School Administration Michael Harris said MPS plans to work with parents and guardians to ensure students stay engaged with online classes.
"Parents are really going to play a huge role. They know their child best," Harris said. "That's how we will be approaching this."
The virtual school would lead an orientation for parents and guardians to learn about the technology their students will use, according to the project proposal. Parents and guardians would be given a "learning coach agreement," outlining the role they would be expected to play in ensuring their student learns at home.
Students who do not maintain 60% attendance would be considered for probationary status, the project plan states. If they don't improve their attendance the following school semester, they could be "considered for reassignment" to another MPS school.
Among MPS students, the virtual school would set aside 10% of seats for students on behavioral reassignments and another 10% for those taking advanced and accelerated coursework. Some of those students would take classes part-time.
At the Jan. 16 meeting, Harris said the district has been tracking data on student enrollment into non-MPS virtual learning programs. MPS hopes to recruit students from those programs by offering extracurricular programs as part of its virtual school.
"We feel confident with our marketing that we can attract those families back to us," Harris said.
MPS' enrollment has been falling over time. That's both as the result of declining birth rates and loss of students to non-MPS charter programs and private schools that accept publicly-funded vouchers, according to a 2024 report by the nonpartisan Wisconsin Policy Forum.
Galvan said the district's existing virtual learning option showed MPS there are a "base number of students" who want virtual learning.
"As parents continue this trend that were seeing... we hope this gives them a place to go so that they don't have to leave us," Galvan said.
Cleo Krejci covers K-12 education and workforce development as a Report For America corps member based at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Contact her at [e-mail] or follow her on Twitter @_CleoKrejci. For more information about Report for America, visit jsonline.com/rfa.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee Public Schools plans to open online-only K-12 charter school