Fond du Lac board approves letter for $1.5 million virtual charter grant application

The Fond du Lac School District Board of Education voted Feb. 16 to approve a board authorization letter for inclusion in a virtual charter school grant application to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. The motion, made by board member Henschel and seconded by board member Labrans, passed on a 6-0 roll-call vote.

District staff described the proposal as a multi-year effort that, if funded, would begin with a planning year and could serve students in grades 6–12. "Our plan is to apply for a grant with the prospective enrollment of around 150 students," said Mister Groves, a district administrator speaking at the meeting. He told the board that, if awarded, the grant window would provide about $1,500,000 over the next three years and that a large portion of that money would pay staff costs during the planning year.

Why it matters: district leaders framed the proposal as both a retention and recruitment strategy. Board members repeatedly tied the virtual-charter discussion to local enrollment and revenue pressures — several members noted that students who enroll in outside virtual programs reduce local per-pupil revenue.

Details and implementation: staff said the district plans to use Canvas as the learning-management system and emphasized a hybrid and flexible model that could include synchronous and asynchronous options. On staffing, Mister Groves estimated that an initial enrollment near 150 students could require roughly eight to 10 staff members immediately, with numbers to grow if enrollment expands. He also said the district intends to reuse existing K–12 curricula in an online format rather than contracting wholly different curriculum providers.

Board discussion and context: board members asked whether the grant would fully fund the program and how the district would staff it. "A large chunk of that money will go towards the staffing side of the planning year for this next year," Mister Groves said in response to a member's question. Several board members expressed support for using district curriculum and emphasized the possibility that the virtual option could retain students who otherwise leave for outside virtual schools.

Next steps: staff told the board they will not know whether the grant is awarded until June. The authorization letter approved Feb. 16 is one required part of the district's application; the district plans a planning year in 2027–28 if the grant is awarded.

The board approved the authorization letter by roll call 6-0; the district will proceed with the DPI application and return to the board with updates once the grant decision is known.