Flex Academy - FAQ for HCOS families with Special Education Students
Clarifying not home-learning: Flex is a teacher-directed brick and mortar experience.
If a Special Education (SE) student is attending Flex Academy full time, will the family have any say in how the student is supported and funds are spent?
A: Funding will be decided by the Flex Academy administration team and will be allocated as needed to support students in a brick and mortar environment.
How will cross-enrolment work and what grades will it be available for? Will there be costs associated with Flex Grade 10-12 courses if HCOS is the School of Record (SOR)? If so, what will it be?
A: Cross enrolment will not be offered in the K-9 grade levels due to funding restrictions, but will be offered for Grades 10- 12. Students taking 3 or fewer courses at Flex can pay a part-time tuition fee, which is $800 per course.
Explain cross-enrolment with Flex from 1 course to multiple courses.
A: Cross-enrollment and part-time options in Flex Academy are only available for Grades 10-12. Priority enrollment will be given to full-time enrolling families. A part-time student at Flex is any student who is taking 3 or fewer classes. Once a student is taking 4 or more classes, they are expected to pay full tuition as Flex Academy will oversee their entire program and include extracurricular aspects like retreats, graduation ceremonies and events, subsidized travel, electives, etc.
If an HCOS SE student is cross-enrolled with Flex, will they be able to have their HCOS Education Assistant (EA) provide the 1:1 support for the Flex courses, or will Flex provide the EA?
A: The EA will be provided by whichever school is providing the majority of the student’s programming (i.e., the SOR). So, if a student is an onsite Flex student for 5 classes and is taking 2 online courses, Flex would provide the EA support. Conversely, if the student is an HCOS student with 3 or fewer Flex classes, HCOS would provide the EA.
We have had the same support teacher for years. Can that support teacher stay as their support teacher in Flex?
A: SE teacher support at Flex Academy will be provided by and determined by Flex Academy. There will not be HCOS SE Case Manager cross-over with Flex.
What courses will be offered for students? Will there be offerings such as: mechanics, foods, shop, photography?
A: Our elective offerings are determined in part by our hiring. We hope to hire staff who have a background in teaching various electives. In April, we will share with the Flex Academy families and interested HCOS families what the onsite Flex programming will be.
If Flex Academy is the School of Record (SOR), what will the cross-enrolment look like on the HCOS side? How will online courses be supported? What are the costs associated with HCOS courses?
A: Flex students can cross-enroll with HCOS at the Grade 10-12 level (via the BCOS department). For full-time Flex Academy students, no additional tuition will be charged. For part-time Flex students, regular additional BCOS course fees will apply.
If there is a cost associated with Flex courses, can SE funds from HCOS be used to cover those costs?
A: SE Funds cannot be used towards student tuition but would be used to support the student through other supports like counseling, EA support, occupational therapy, etc. depending on the student’s designation and support needs.
Will HCOS students still be able to participate in sports teams?
A: Yes - Sports Team tryouts will be open to Flex Academy students and HCOS students who are not enrolled at Flex.
Can my student do part-time enrollment in Middle School?
A: Unfortunately due to funding restrictions, part-time enrollment is not available until the Grad program.