Monroe Central board approves pilot of Options virtual‑school offering for high school students

The Monroe Central School Corp. Board of Trustees voted to approve a pilot of an Options virtual‑school offering for high‑school students after a presentation by MCHS Principal Mr. Middleton.

Mr. Middleton said the district can control which courses it offers through the provider and that the teacher of record assigned by Options would monitor students’ progress. “I feel like in our back pocket — it’s something that we need to have,” he said, arguing the program is a tool for students who must pursue an alternate pathway.

Why it matters: The district estimated the program cost at $2,500 per pupil per year; the board discussed that the district retains roughly 85% of the state funding for a full‑time online student (about $3,500) after paying the provider. Mr. Middleton said the district would start small (he suggested around 10 students) and that the provider currently serves about 280 schools statewide and that local experience shows between 18 and 20 students enrolled in similar pilots elsewhere.

Board members asked about academic integrity, access and monitoring. Mr. Middleton said Options uses secure browsers and plagiarism‑prevention tools to limit cheating and that the district could set grading scales and enrollment rules. He also said the district could recoup the provider fee if a student leaves midyear because the payments remain in a pooled account used to support subsequent students.

The board voted to approve pursuing the Options virtual‑school offering and to begin implementation planning; the motion carried 3–0 with two members absent.

Next steps: Staff will develop implementation details, including enrollment criteria, staffing (a local point of contact), and a plan for initial outreach to families. The board discussed running a practice day for synchronous instruction before full implementation.