Owatonna Online reports booming enrollment

Once an emergency alternative to traditional school, distance learning has grown into the preferred form of education for many families.

At the latest Owatonna School Board work session, Teaching and Learning Coordinator Ann Mikkalson reported Owatonna Online is seeing a “huge boom” in enrollment.

Data from March puts online enrollment at 283 students, compared to 230 at the start of the year. The vast majority of enrollment, and growth, is in Grades 7-12, though the program serves children as young as kindergarten.

Of the 7-12 students enrolled in the program, 88 are Owatonna residents, 81 are from Northfield and Albert Lea — districts Owatonna has a tuition agreement with — and 65 are from the rest of the state, having joined through open enrollment.

“They have opportunities across the entire state but they’re choosing us,” said Mikkalson.

Asked by Student School Board Representative Erin Baker why these students choose Owatonna, Mikkalson pointed to the flexibility of the program as a key draw.

Mikkalson said Owatonna Online serves some families better than the standard 8-to-3 school day, allowing parents and teachers to decide how many meetings a student needs. At the elementary level, the program offers two pathways, one that features regular teacher support and one that allows students to work more independently.

“Truly, we do have families who want to homeschool, but they don’t want to take on the curriculum and the instructional piece, but they really want to support the learning at a high level at home,” said Mikkalson.

Parents and teachers meet regularly to determine if the student is on the right pathway for them. Elementary classes have 20 to 24 students, though secondary classes are often larger.

The 7-12 program is designed to be self-paced, but students can reach out to teachers whenever they need assistance. The district has hired more online 7-12 teachers this year, increasing live instructional time.

Although there are other districts offering open enrollment, Superintendent Jeff Elstad said Owatonna Online offers a wider range of services than most, with counseling, special education and social work options for the students that need them.

“There was a lot of hard work that went into building a quality system, because it’s not as easy as finding some sort of online vendor and then you’re just managing that. It’s about building relationships, it’s about building credibility with other districts and other families so that they lean into our online program,” said Elstad.

He also said open enrollment has been crucial in supporting the program financially.

Mikkalson said staff have worked to bolster the program in areas online schooling has traditionally been weak, putting a greater emphasis on community building and fostering character development by highlighting positive traits like empathy and honesty.

School Board Chair Mark Sebring asked if students in the program would eventually funnel into traditional school environments.

“Is it aspirational that kids would eventually make their way into a classroom setting, or are you accepting of the notion that there are some kids that their entire educational career will be virtual?” he said.

Mikkalson said they do occasionally recommend switching to in-person schooling when a student seems to struggle with online learning, and some students will choose to go back on their own, but the program also offers an alternative for kids wouldn’t be as successful in a traditional classroom.

Elstad recognized the role district staff played in building and maintaining the program.

“It’s because of the commitment of our professional educators that this has really taken off. We are becoming one of the state’s premiere online providers,” he said.

Owatonna Online allows the district to pull educators from all corners of the state. Most live outside Owatonna, although two live in the area and report to McKinley for work.

Elstad bid Mikkalson a fond farewell as she leaves the district behind and signs on as principal of Madelia Elementary School, crediting her for the “instructional integrity” and “good, quality leadership” at Owatonna Online.

“Ann has been a real powerhouse,” he said.