District staff propose expanded virtual alternative-education option to keep students in Wilmot community

District administrators presented a plan to expand Wilmot’s alternative‑education offerings to include flexible virtual options aimed at keeping students connected to the district and reducing chronic absenteeism.

Administrator Crowell said the district has seen 30–40 students leave for virtual schools in recent years and proposed a virtual alt‑ed pathway that would include regular face‑to‑face check‑ins, signed family contracts, social‑emotional supports, competency options including GED pathways, and use of the Ingenuity online platform. ‘‘We want to keep them within the Wilmot bubble so we can better support them,’’ Crowell said.

Board members asked how the virtual option would differ from current offerings; Crowell said the model would require scheduled in‑person meetings (weekly or biweekly), frequent check‑ins and an instructor experienced in this approach. The program would be targeted to in‑district students only; administration said open enrollment would not be available without establishing a charter school.

Administrators told the board they would present a formal proposal for board consideration at the Wednesday, Feb. 19 meeting. No vote to implement the program was taken at the session.