Fridley to relaunch K–12 online academy to retain students and recapture revenue

Fridley Public Schools plans to relaunch its district online academy for kindergarten through 12th grade, administrators told the board on June 16, describing the program as a strategy to retain students, provide flexible learning options and recapture revenue lost to other districts’ virtual programs.

Dr. Amy Cochran and other administrators said the program will be powered through a partner called EdOptions Academy (referred to in the presentation as Ed Options/Edunum/Ed Options Academy), staffed by licensed Minnesota teachers and offering a wide course catalog for high‑school students (administration cited more than 500 course options). The K–5 program will include live instruction options and project‑based learning; all students will have a Fridley staff contact for regular check‑ins and access to technology (district‑issued Chromebooks) and may continue to participate in Fridley athletics and activities.

Administrators emphasized built‑in supports for families, opportunities for synchronous teacher help, and a goal to keep students enrolled in district programs rather than open‑enrolling elsewhere. Enrollment for the relaunch was announced as open at the time of the meeting.

Administration framed the relaunch as both an educational option and an enrollment/revenue strategy; details on eligibility, tuition (if any), and funding allocations were not provided in the presentation and will be posted in linked materials.