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Parkview holds off on virtual school plan

ORFORDVILLE — The Parkview School Board has decided to hold off planning for a virtual charter school until fall to retain its focus on three ongoing projects.

The board voted unanimously against approval to develop a charter for a virtual school during Monday night's regular meeting, Superintendent Steve Lutzke said.

The district had been exploring a plan to start a virtual school next fall that would offer a local option to its students that open enroll to other districts' virtual schools, Lutzke said.

The district has at least 30 students leaving through open enrollment with plans to attend virtual schools and another 20 or so who are currently home-schooled.

Before the meeting, Lutzke said the virtual school would have been a big undertaking because the district was planning to start it with existing staff.

The district will revisit the idea in fall and see if it's something it wants to pursue for the 2014-15 school year, he said.

The district's projects include:

-- Long-range facility planning: The board approved a $28,750 contract with Somerville of Green Bay to complete a facilities study and long-range plan. The company also would provide support and assistance if the plan results in the board seeking a referendum.

-- One-to-one computer initiative: The district is planning technology upgrades to provide more resources to students, and it will take time, energy and resources to implement it effectively, Lutzke said.

-- The administrative team is working on an educator effectiveness pilot program that the state will mandate in fall 2014.

Logistically, it means administrators are spending five to six hours on a teacher evaluation compared to about two hours according to the previous format.

"With those three things on the table, we felt that it was in our best interests to not try to tackle another big project," Lutzke said.