School board votes to create new Mat-Su Hybrid Learning Academy

During the February 5 meeting of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School Board (MSBSD) school board meeting, the board quickly took up an action item from Superintendent Dr. Randy Trani for creating a new school through board action, which he first announced at the January 15 school board meeting.

The proposal, said to address lagging graduation and state assessment numbers from students attending homeschools and correspondence schools, would create the Mat-Su Hybrid Learning Academy, a new alternative K-12 school within the MSBSD. The new school would be co-located at the new Mat-Su Central School, which is currently finishing up construction at the new location in Palmer.

According to the proposal, the Mat-Su Hybrid Learning Academy would provide students and families with access to a hybrid learning environment both full and part time. Courses will be provided by a certificated teacher and blend both in-person and at home learning for core and elective subjects structured around a flexible scheduling aligned with student interest and academic needs. It would also continue to offer current hybrid offerings and expanded CTE and other hybrid options, designed to accommodate varied schedules, flexible locations, and non-traditional class times.

“The primary motivation of this is not to balance any budget, though budget is a concern this year more than in the past,” said Dr. Trani when presenting the request, which has been viewed as a measure to boost state funding for homeschool and correspondence students as there is a projected funding deficit of $22 million next year if operations are maintained at current levels.

“This has been an idea that we’ve been pursuing since I got here…it’s a good idea about equity.”

However, much of the discussion still focused on finance and funding. Dr. Trani said that there are currently 500 students who attend blended learning through Mat-Su Central, but because it is a homeschool code, they do not receive the increased financial support that other blended learning activities do.

“That’s the inequity that we’re trying to fix.”

“There have been similar models that have been approved in the past,” he said, referencing Knik Charter and Knik Correspondence Schools, as well as Mat-Su Middle College, which is also a hybrid program where students are funded at the brick-and-mortar level.

Many parents from Mat-Su Central spoke out against the planned Hybrid Learning Program, asking for the board to slow down or postpone the idea until more information could be presented.

“When Mat-Su Central was granted a new building, we felt heard, validated, and recognized. We were energized. Our staff and administration has been working tirelessly preparing for our move and creating a schedule to utilize every space of our new home,” said Nicole Connolly, a parent of a Mat-Su Central student. “We are not unopposed to change…if any drastic changes are made to our current structure or priorities, you may very well lose students.” She said that there are wait lists for classes, but that the proposed timeline feels too rushed with not enough time to process the changes.

Janice Risen, another parent with students enrolled at Mat-Su Central, as well as students enrolled in schools outside MSBSD, said her biggest concern with the Hybrid Learning Academy is the lack of transparency, and hoped that the board would consider postponing the idea until community members had more time to look at what was being proposed.

“What will happen with the hybrid program? Who’s going to be in charge? What does that look like for our current teachers? What does that look like for our students?”

Dr. Trani stressed that the vote would be for the board’s approval for creating a new school code to Alaska’s Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) for approval, and presented a timeline that included a marketing push and a Homeschool Fair tentatively planned for May.

Currently, students attending MSBSD homeschools must meet higher credit requirements than other correspondence schools across the state, with 25.5 credits for MSBSD, while other programs only need 21 or 22 credits to graduate.

The school board approved the item 6-1, with member Ted Swanson casting the only opposing vote. “There are a lot of stakeholders at Mat-Su Central that I don’t think want this to be approved,” he said during the discussion, asking for a commitment from Dr. Trani that the current leadership at Mat-Su Central be an integral part of developing the new program. “I think there are a lot of parents and leadership there that want a critical voice in how the program is developed.” While the Superintendent would only commit to engaging with “all parts of the community,” including all families that currently attend Mat-Su Central, he did say that they are currently meeting with administration from the school. “We are trying to commit to a timeline of communication.”

The next steps include the Alaska Department of Education granting approval before it takes effect as it will create a new school within the district.

The next MSBSD school board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, February 19 at the Administration Building in Palmer.