MANSFIELD — The Tyger Digital Academy may be going offline for good.
The Mansfield City Schools Board of Education has scheduled a special meeting Tuesday, July 9 at 5:30 p.m. to discuss and possibly vote on the closing of the Academy, according to a special meeting notice sent out by the district.
School board president Chris Elswick said as of Monday, only 13 students were registered to attend the Tyger Digital Academy (TDA) for the 2023-2024 school year.
The program costs the district around $2.1 million a year.
Mansfield City Schools launched the TDA in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, when many families were seeking remote learning options for their students.
At its peak, the program had more 1,100 students enrolled in the K-12 program. After the state discontinued provisions allowing fully-remote learning for traditional school districts, the TDA switched to a “blended learning” model.
Enrollment started to steadily decline. There were 250 students enrolled in the TDA during the 2021-2022 school year, and 128 students during the 2022-2023 school year, according to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce.
According to the most recent round Ohio School Report Cards, the TDA had an overall rating of 1.5 out of 5 stars, falling significantly behind state standards for achievement, progress, gap closing and graduation rates.
Tyger Digital Academy “not cost effective” in wake of deficit
School board president Chris Elswick said he understands the frustration of families whose children attend the TDA, but the move makes financial sense amid Mansfield’s City’s ongoing operating deficit.
“We’ve talked about it several times,” Elswick said. “When you look at the entire district, it’s not cost effective. We have to do what’s best for everybody.”
While eliminating the Academy would cut down on the district’s staffing total, Elswick said all TDA staff members will have the opportunity to take an open position within the district.
“They will be absorbed back into the district, for those that want to return,” Elswick said.
The TDA currently employs 18 people, according to Mansfield School Employees Association President Brad Strong.
“No one will become unemployed because of this,” Strong said. “Is it ideal? No, but it makes sense.”
Strong said 93 percent of both certificated and classified staff voted to allow the closure of the TDA during a union election Monday. Per the union contract, any building closures must be finalized by May 31, so district staff had to vote on a memorandum of understanding to allow the closure.
Closing the TDA would not be the last action the board would take to continue minimizing the district’s budget deficits, Elswick said.
“We’re going to look at a possible reduction in force, cutting staff,” he said.
Mansfield City Schools’ 2023-2024 academic year begins August 21 with orientation day. All staff and students report on August 22.
