

Outcomes and debate over virtual learning Here’s a snapshot of Oneida’s savings over the last three years:Ĭlick here to view copies of contracts between Oneida and Tech Trep, Harmony and Overture. Yet the district’s fund balance account has steadily increased since Oneida launched its online school.

Moore insists the partnerships are not a “money maker” for the district, and that extra revenue goes toward things like new textbooks. To safeguard against financial losses, Oneida keeps 10 percent of the money drummed up by online services. In 2017-18, Harmony received $216,579, and Tech Trep got $87,358, according to Oneida’s online expense reports. Here’s a look at money divvied out to Oneida’s online partners so far this year: So far, however, the district’s expense reports put the number at over $3 million. Altogether, Tech Trep and Harmony each charge Oneida a per-unit price of $68,075 Overture charges the district $66,491 per unit.īecause enrollment fluctuates during the school year, it’s hard to say how many tax dollars Oneida’s partners will receive by the end of the school year. For example, 40 kindergartners comprise a unit. Onedia pays its online partners according to “unit” pricing broken down by grade.
Harmony virtual academy registration#
Much of the money goes to Tech Trep, Harmony and Overture as they provide services from student registration to online coursework. This year’s enrollment surge will bring Oneida’s state allocation from $7 million to over $11 million. The price tag of Oneida’s home learning academy Here’s a breakdown of Oneida’s current online enrollment, per curriculum provider: Oneida’s brick-and-mortar student population hovers around 950 students. Today, the district’s Idaho Home Learning Academy serves 1,533 K-8 online learners.

The new partnership, along with snowballing enrollment through Tech Trep, has boosted Oneida’s 2018-19 enrollment by an unprecedented 958 kids. This school year, the district signed another contract with Idaho-based K-8 digital curriculum provider Overture. Oneida’s quest to serve online students hasn’t stopped. The partnerships raised the district’s annual state funding from $4.7 million in 2013-14 to over $7 million in 2017-18. The partnerships brought Onedia’s online enrollment to 563 students, a 37 percent increase over two years. In 2017-18, the district partnered with another Utah-based provider, Tech Trep, to bring in an additional 158 students. The rise of virtual learning in OneidaĪ 2017 Idaho Education News investigation found that Oneida had partnered with Utah-based digital curriculum provider Harmony, boosting its 2016-17 K-8 enrollment by 405 students.

The commission’s schools account for 73 percent of virtual enrollment in Idaho, or about 4,400 students, with school districts - predominately Oneida - enrolling the rest. The Idaho Public Charter School Commission governs 11 of Idaho’s 17 virtual schools. Like brick-and-mortar schools, online schools report attendance to the state and receive a commensurate measure of funding to cover program costs. Parents are supposed to help and keep their children on task. Once enrolled, kids gain access to certified Idaho teachers who provide instruction and grade assignments remotely, via the internet. Students enroll in virtual schools through school districts and charter schools that have partnered with digital curriculum providers. Moore acknowledges his digital learning program “has it’s challenges” but asks, “where might these students be without the resources we are providing for them?” How virtual learning works
