Argyle ISD believes offering hybrid and full-time virtual class options at the high school level will make the district more attractive to students and families.
Senate Bill 569 was signed into law during the 89th Texas Legislature’s regular session, which allows districts to receive full funding for students enrolled in virtual or hybrid classes.
Argyle ISD hopes to take advantage of the recent change by after unanimously approving a virtual and hybrid program for the 2026-2027 school year, giving families zoned for AISD more of a choice in their student’s education.
“The reason we’re doing this is to offer our families more choices and flexibility in making decisions in how their child learns best,” said Argyle ISD Assistant Superintendent Dr. Dawn Jordan. “It’s for what meets their needs as a family.”
Argyle ISD plans to partner with Edgenuity to provide the curriculum and offer the online courses, however, Argyle ISD staff will still be needed to enter grades into the grade book.
Jordan said any additional costs to add on staff members would be more than covered by funding from enrolled students since attendance is still taken daily.
Students will not be able to take Advanced Placements classes online, but virtual students will have the same extracurricular opportunities as students in person.
In addition to families and students having more public education options, the board saw the program as a positive because it could free up seats in the high schools and give students the flexibility to use their time how they want.
“People want choice and public schools need to be more creative for how they compete for children in their district,” said trustee Josh Westrom. “If it doesn’t work, it’s not like we can’t adjust it. I can also see at the high school, we have a capacity problem coming. This may help extend that runway a little bit.”
AISD Superintendent Courtney Carpenter talked about statewide trends going on in education.
She mentioned the growing popularity of homeschools and “micro schools” that cater to a niche group of students.
For example, some schools have class for a few hours in the morning for athletes so they can train for the rest of the day. She wants those students to stay at AISD high schools.
“In terms of student learning and impact, it’s an option, it’s flexibility and families are going to choose it if it’s right for their kids,” she said. “This affords public schools the opportunity to offer students that live here [those benefits] instead of them choosing other options.”
According to a presentation from Jordan, there will be no extra fees for students enrolled in a normal amount of classes through Edgenuity, students will still have to take standardized testing required by the Texas Education Agency and students will only be allowed on campus during their assigned class times.
Full-time virtual students will complete all course work virtually, with some required in-person sessions for assessments and support.
Hybrid students will complete some courses in person and some courses virtually.
Students can only enroll for virtual/hybrid options at the beginning of each semester, but can move to in-person learning at any time.
According to Jordan’s presentation, for high school students to qualify for a virtual/hybrid program, they:
Must be enrolled in 9th-12th grade
- Must have had no serious discipline issues for the last two years
- Maintained regular attendance for the last two years
- Demonstrated passing grades in all subjects for the last two years
Carpenter said she expects most students enrolling in the program to be high-performing.
“They’re getting the flexibility they need,” she said. “Any student that can handle that kind of work and a fine arts or sports schedule, those are going to be high-performing students, those are the kids that can do it.”
Some board members were concerned about the social isolation aspect and possible effects similar to when classes were moved online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“During COVID-19, it wasn’t a choice – this is a choice for families that it works best for,” said Jordan. “Before a student is enrolled, there will be a conversation with that family about the qualities that would make a student successful.”
That conversation is designed to make sure the student is up to the challenge of a rigorous online curriculum.
According to Jordan, teachers check in on the students every day and Edgenuity can send parents progress reports every single day to ensure students stay on track.
With Argyle ISD undergoing massive growth, online classes through Edgenuity could help students knock out basic courses or electives with very little AISD teacher instruction.
Jordan said some teachers that administer the online courses could have up to 400 students on their virtual roster because they don’t have to instruct every student.
“We’re not talking about a typical classroom,” said Jordan. “If it’s an elective, they do less instructing, so they’re just transferring grades and checking things.”
Some electives that don’t have enough students to form a class in-person could be offered online through Edgenuity, giving students more flexibility in their course selection, also.
The board approved the program, but they will continue to work out specifics before the program goes live for the 2026-2027 school year.
One thing the board hasn’t finalized is how many spots will be available for the initial launch of the program. District administration plans to speak with other districts to see where the first enrollment threshold should be capped.
The district will not allow more than 50% of students enroll in the virtual/hybrid program because it would then designate Argyle High School as a virtual campus.
