Vitalis Charter Academy hopes to offer alternative option to area ...

Vitalis Charter Academy hopes to open up shop next August as a charter school based in Park County School District 6 that would also serve families in Big Horn, Washakie and Hot Springs counties. 

Vitalis, along with one other applicant, is vying for a charter school designation as it proposes customized education with high parent involvement to area homeschoolers.

“We simply saw a need to support the increasing number of homeschool students in our community with the best model of school for personalized learning. We recognize the hard work and tremendous effort a local school district makes to support all students and in no way wants to diminish their programs,” said Lisa Oilar, one of the charter’s founding members, during a Sept. 17 interview with the Wyoming State Authorizing Board.

Only one more charter can be approved by the state until July 2026. Vitalis is one of two charters being considered, along with American Prepatory Academy of Alpine (based in Afton), focused on teaching a classical and liberal arts education. Approval as a charter school would be valid for the next five years. 

Charters approved by the state authorizing board are under that board’s authority rather than their local school district.

“Vitalis Charter Academy's mission is to educate the whole child by matching curriculum and tailoring instruction to meet individual students' social, emotional and physical needs, as well as cultivating a lifelong love of learning in a nonclassroom based model,” Oilar said.

At the Sept. 17 interview, six members of the authorizing board took two hours to see what exactly Vitalis could offer to its community. 

Board members took turns asking questions of Vitalis and its founding members, including whether or not the school was virtual. 

Vitalis Virtual Academy?

“We decided we did not want to be categorized as a virtual school, because often virtual schools or virtual programs that the districts run have one platform that they run out of, and we want our parents to have freedom of curriculum choice,” Oilar said.

However the school does want to retain the ability to use technology which can help with workflow and provide access in remote areas. For students who need better internet access or technology that could be provided for by the school using the $2,500 in instructional funds allocated for each K-6 student in the academic year, according to Vitalis’ application. The student’s “Mentor Teacher,” the Vitalis title for their certified teaching staff, is in charge of managing these funds which must tie into what is on the student’s personalized learning plan. 

Virtual learning could also be utilized for career and technical education and field specific courses if that was part of the student’s learning plan. CTE classes and other vocational education and training can be implemented into the student’s education through meeting with the educational team, Oilar explained. The courses could then be taken through the local community college, like Northwest College, in order to receive certification, or through online courses. In-person field experiences will also be a part of Vitalis through the use of vetted community partners who work with Vitalis’ mentor teachers. 

“The community partner is not offering grades or even course, standards, you would have to go through the teacher of record as a community member,” Oilar said. “So there's going to be some collaboration between the school and the community partner.”

As mentioned in their mission statement, collaboration is a big part of what would make Vitalis work including between teaching staff, parents and students. 

Teacher Mentors

At Vitalis, its staff of certified teachers would help structure learning plans for students who would be “self directed” and supported by the parent.

“So with the student being self directed, obviously there's high engagement needed on the parent side of this, this isn't something that could just simply be turned over and the parent walks away, right,” said Stephanie Bennett-Brown, one of the founding members. “There's direct parent involvement, and then that parent works with the credentialed teacher through the chartered school to make sure that we're meeting state standards, that the correct curriculum is being used to best benefit that individual child.”

This approach is something unique, she explained. As every student is at a different level than another, this self directed approach would allow students to meet state standards while receiving help where it’s needed and the ability to progress where they excel.

This educational model is “very attractive” for teachers who might not want to be in the classroom all the time or who have experienced burnout, Oilar said, as there is the ability to work remotely using Canvas and other systems.

At Vitalis, each teacher would have up to 25 students. They would be required to meet with their students and parents a minimum of every 20 days, founding member Chelsea Slade explained. In this meeting the student’s work will be assessed as well as their personalized learning plan.

“There’s really regular assessment in that way, just through talking to their parents and going over their work,” Slade said. 

Does Park 6 see a need?

Cody Superintendent Vernon Orndorff and members of the Park County School District 6 school board attended the interview process.

Orndorff first became aware of the potential charter school last year, he said in an interview with the Tribune, when Oilar and three other members met with him about potentially applying to be a charter under PCSD6 — Vitalis also contacted several other districts including Powell before deciding to pursue authorization under the state board.

The application indicates that Vitalis received no interest from any districts, Orndoff said, but said that is incorrect.

“I met with Mrs. Oilar and the parents, and I requested to see either their application or their assurances … and I would share with our trustees, and then we could, you know, look into this,” Orndorff said, adding, “And then it wasn't about a week later I received an email back from Mrs. Oilar, stating that Vitalis would no longer seek district authorization, that their application would be for state authorization.”

Orndorff appreciates the work of the state authorizing board, he said, and noted that with only one slot available in the near future its decision is important for stakeholders including students, parents and existing public education systems. 

“I think there's good reasons in some counties, some districts across the nation where charter schools could benefit those entities and really, you know, to provide that choice for parents, choice for students, is important,” he said.

But, he added, the Big Horn Basin as well as the state of Wyoming, provides one of the best school systems in the nation, there is a high level of collaboration between districts to provide high quality education to all students.

“There are places for charter schools, but the thing that a charter school has to bring into a community is something that's unique and different that the public schools can't provide,” Orndorff said.

In Park County districts there are many options and support systems for students, including individualized learning pathways like the Classroom 2 Careers program through the RIDE initiative and nontraditional learning spaces for students to work on projects and practice problem solving as well as join in collaborative learning spaces.

Orndorff also mentioned that while Vitalis is looking to attract homeschool students, PCSD6’s doors are open to homeschool students who can take a couple of classes in the district and activities are provided to homeschool families.

For alternative education Orndorff mentioned Connections Academy, a virtual academy available to Wyoming students, and Cody’s own Heart Mountain Academy. 

“I can see the passion that they want to serve their students at the best level, but we're all in this together, and you know, we want to work with those homeschool families, and we believe that we provide the best educational opportunity for all of our students in our community,” Orndorff said adding, “I would be hard pressed to find something any better than what the Park County schools provide.”

For more information on Vitalis visit edu.wyoming.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/American-Preparatory-Academy-of-Alpine-Application.pdf.

Written comment on Vitalis is open until 5 p.m. today (Tuesday).