St. Paul online school gets board approval

The St. Paul school board on Monday endorsed plans for a new online school to begin operating in the fall.

Members voted unanimously to give district officials permission to seek state approval of the full-time virtual venture.

Initially, the school will serve students in St. Paul and its adjoining districts.

Individual classes also will be available to students who attend school in-person and want to supplement their education.

The full-time program will be open to ninth- through 11th-graders in 2021-22, and expanded to include seniors in 2022-23. The supplemental courses will be available to students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

Hans Ott, director of the district's Office of Digital and Alternative Education, said recently the state typically takes three to five weeks to respond to an application, which may require revisions.

Anthony Lonetree