Rob Darrow - robdarrow@cusd Coordinator, Instructional Resources Clovis Unified, Ca

1. Case Study:How can a small school district finance an online high school? OR…the tale of two online schools in school districts in California Rob Darrow - robdarrow@cusd.com Coordinator, Instructional Resources Clovis Unified, Ca Virtual School Symposium, 2008

2. Questions for you • Opening an online school? • Operated an online school less than 3 years? • Operated an online school more than 3 years?

3. Share: How do you fund (or hope to fund) your online school?

4. Kings Canyon Unified Dunlap Leadership Academy - 2008 (Students: 9700; Teachers: 439) www.dunlapleadershipacademy.com/ Clovis Unified Cal Online (2000-2005) (Students: 37,000; Teachers: 1752) calonline.cusd.com Two California School Districts

5. Yosemite Kings Canyon Park

6. Kings Canyon Unified • Geographically – 600 square miles that cross two counties. • Almost 10,000 students, K-12 • 3000 high school students. • Three distinct areas: Orange Cove, Reedley and Dunlap. • Orange Cove and Reedley have a high school…but Dunlap does NOT.

7. Kings Canyon Unified • Dunlap…the one area of the district without a high school. • Where’s Dunlap? Population: 131

8. KCUSD Dunlap Leadership Academy • Why?

9. KCUSD Dunlap Leadership Academy • Why?

10. On the bus…you would see…

11. Dunlap Leadership Academy

12. Dunlap Student • “Because I didn’t want to ride the bus two hours to the other high school and I get headaches when I ride buses for that long.”

13. Financing the School

14. California FinanceHow public schools are funded • 1 student in school 1 day = 1 ADA (or FTE). • Cannot split ADA

15. California Finance • ADA (“seat time” - 240 minutes each day) • Independent Study (student gets hours based on work and physically meets a teacher once a week). • Charter 1 student in school 1 day = 1 ADA.

16. California FinanceADA DifferencesPer student, per year • Kings Canyon - $5900 • Clovis Unified –$5,000 • Sierra Unified - $8,000

17. Dunlap Leadership Academy Financing

18. Dunlap Leadership Academy30 students - ADA • 30 students X $5900 = $177,000 per year. • Special program funding - $650 per student (or another $20,000) • Total Income: $197,000. • Round up to $200,000

19. Share: What are the Cost Items for an online school?

20. Dunlap Leadership Academy Personnel • Principal – Part time (shared with school across the street) • Secretary/lab aide and campus aide • 8:00-2:00 each day – 30 hours per week. • Custodian (part time – shared with school across the street). • Total Personnel Cost: $169,000 • (Total Income: $197,000. )

21. Dunlap Leadership AcademyComputer Lab • Cost for hardware: $40,000.

22. Dunlap Leadership Academy Course Content and Teachers • Provided by Advanced Academics. Cost: $400 per student per course. • 5 courses per student. • $400 X 30 students X 5 courses = $60,000.

23. Dunlap Leadership Academy Supplies • Supplies = $5,000.

24. Dunlap Leadership Academy Income and Expenses • Income by ADA: $197,000. • Personnel: $169,000 • Equipment: $40,000 • Content and Teachers: $60,000 • Supplies: $5,000 • Income – Expenses = - ($77,000)

25. Dunlap Leadership AcademyAsst. Supt. BusinessCost Per Student ADA = $6550 • 30 students = $7400 per student. • 60 students = $5017 per student. • 120 students = $3609

26. Why go to the computer lab? • Why students go here: “because I like seeing the other kids and I have friends here.”

27. Share: • Questions to ask about these figures…any issues?

28. Clovis Unified • Unified in 1960: one high school / intermediate school, 4 elementary schools

29. Clovis Unified • District motto: “Be the best you can in mind, body and spirit.” • In 2008: 28,000 students – 12,000 in high school. • 6 high schools, 5 intermediate schools and 32 elementary schools.

30. Clovis Unified Superintendent : 2000 • “One of the things CUSD is doing to prepare for the future are ‘Virtual Classrooms’ – CUSD teachers are in the process of designing curriculum for a virtual classroom where students can take courses on the Web...”

31. Clovis UnifiedCal Online • First classes: June 2001 Find Mari pic

32. Clovis UnifiedCal Online ADA = 0 • Budget: $250,000 • Funded from 2000-2006 by 12 different grants and funds over 6 years – no ADA or General Fund.

33. Clovis UnifiedCal Online Expenses • Personnel: • Coordinator, assistant • 4 part time teachers – • TOTAL: $180,000

34. Clovis UnifiedCal Online Expenses • Materials: (textbooks, lab kits, etc.): $6,000 • Teacher cell phones: $4,000 • New Course development: $20,000

35. Clovis UnifiedCal Online Expenses • Content (FLVS): $30,000 • Jones Knowledge: $4,000 • Total Yearly Costs: $244,000

36. Clovis UnifiedCal Online Enrollment = 100 • Courses: Algebra, English 9, English 11/12, World History, U.S. History, AP Government, Economics, Art History, PE • Florida Virtual School and self developed

37. Clovis UnifiedAsst. Supt. Business • 100 students enrolled. • $244,000 Costs • Divide out: $2440 per student

38. Clovis Unified - Cal Online Ended in 2006 • No finance model worked for part time students

39. 2020 Visions Report (2006) • $1 mil to start up an online school Bellsouth Foundation (2006). Anderson, A.B., Augenblick, J., and DeCesare, D., and Conrad, J.

40. Online School Finance Challenges • Economy of scale: Need money or students • With full complement of courses, how do you reduce costs? • Contract content out? • Own teachers? • Develop own content? • Get more students?

41. Lessons Learned:Via research and experience • Get all district admin on board • Talk with all “stakeholder” groups in establishing your online school (counselors, special education, etc.) • Identify budget income for 3 years • Lack of money = no program

42. Questions…Comments…Thoughts

43. Contact Information • Rob Darrow – robdarrow@cusd.com • http://robdarrow.wikispaces.com