Trailhead Virtual Academy will be allowed to open later this month as a statewide virtual charter school focused on career and technical education — despite having four students enrolled as of last week.

The Idaho Public Charter School Commission typically doesn’t allow a charter school to open unless it hits its break-even point, the minimum number of students needed to make the budget pencil out.

Yet commission executive director Rachel Burk said last week Trailhead has the green light because ACCEL, the education service provider (ESP) that largely runs the school, signed an agreement taking on the financial risk.

If Trailhead hits its break-even point of 200 students, ACCEL will receive 95% of state and federal funds, according to the agreement between the company and Trailhead in the school’s application packet.

Commissioners raised concerns for years that there wasn’t a market for another statewide virtual school in Idaho and were unsure how Trailhead would teach children as young as kindergarten career skills virtually. Yet commissioners approved the school’s charter in December.

The commission oversees other schools with similar agreements, including Idaho Technical Career Academy, which is run by private company K12. The company also runs Idaho Virtual Academy and has a similar agreement.

Trailhead’s virtual model is still taking shape

As of March, members of the Trailhead’s board couldn’t answer some questions on how the school would operate.

But with students set to arrive later this month, some of the biggest questions about the school have remained partially unanswered, including what a student’s day will look like and how the program will deliver on its career-technical promise.

Hutchinson, who was hired as head of school in June, said students will have a mix of live instruction, independent work and small-group support. She has spent much of her career in virtual education, including as a virtual instructor.

She said students will have a homeroom class, live sessions for core courses and breakout groups for more independent work.

“It’s difficult to say what their day-to-day looks like,” she said, but she’s ready to answer questions. “Reach out to the school, and we can definitely walk you through any question that you have.”

Hutchinson said she was drawn to the job because of the flexibility online learning can provide families.

“They still needed that teacher interaction and that teacher support,” Hutchinson said.

Hutchinson began working closely with ACCEL when she was hired. According to the school’s application packet, “ACCEL provides or arranges for all services necessary to operate the school.”

Those services include providing curriculum, the virtual learning platform, and enrollment support. ACCEL hasn’t responded to questions from EdNews about the program and declined interview requests earlier this spring.

Meanwhile, the career-technical aspect of the program is still being ironed out. Hutchinson said for the younger grades it’s mostly talking about what careers exist and “building their curiosity.”

In middle school, students explore different options for career pathways. So far, those pathways at Trailhead are agriculture, health science and information technology.

“It’s a broad band to allow them multiple opportunities,” Hutchinson said.

Specific career pathways are still under development, she said. Current credential offerings include Microsoft Office and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), according to Trailhead’s website. The school hopes to add one grade per year until it’s a K-12 school, with the high school grades having more specific pathway requirements.