The SPPS Online School is a new, no cost, online school that allows students in grades K-12 to take classes that meet Minnesota academic standards in a flexible, safe and highly supportive learning environment.

Families can enroll in the SPPS Online School by contacting the Student Placement Center at 651-632-3760 or spc@spps.org or by completing an online application.

Yes, students outside of the SPPS attendance area may open enroll in the online K-12 school.

Students enrolled for the fall semester will only be enrolled in the K-12 online program and not in their current school. Requests to transfer to an in-person school will be reviewed for the next quarter or semester and based on openings. Students requesting a return to in-person instruction during the 2021-22 school year are not guaranteed enrollment at a specific school. Every effort will be made to return those students to their previous enrollment for the 2022-23 school year.

No, Pre-K and Early Childhood Special Education will be offered in-person only for the 2021-2022 school year.

The SPPS Online School curriculum is designed using strategies that are proven to work in a virtual environment. Your student will experience live, interactive classes, along with flexible recorded sessions. Students will use the digital platforms on their school iPad for learning. K-3 students will use Seesaw and 4-12 students will use Schoology.

SPPS Online School will have an iPad handout event on August 27 where students new to SPPS will get an iPad and where current SPPS students will exchange their iPad for a new model. Students who can’t make that event or enroll after August 27 will work with the Online School staff to schedule times for an iPad handout.

An additional iPad pickup and exchange for K-5 students has been scheduled for September 1 from 1-5 p.m. at Barack and Michelle Obama Elementary. Find more information here.

SPPS educators

There will be increased expectations of online time with educators throughout the day and week.

SPPS Online School will have all the Minnesota Department of Education required courses for each grade level.

SPPS Online School will not be offering immersion, dual language or other specialty magnet instruction.

No, SPPS Online School will not offer band or choir for this school year. To support the arts, there will be a visual arts class.

SPPS Online School will not offer athletics for grades K-8.

For grades 9-12, any current SPPS student transferring to the SPPS Online school will not be considered a "transfer student" and will not lose varsity eligibility. Current SPPS students enrolling in the SPPS Online School in grades 10-12 for fall 2021 can continue to play sports at the school they were enrolled in last year. For example, a student who attended grade 10 at Central for the 2020-21 school year and who wants to enroll in the SPPS Online School this fall will be eligible to play sports at Central.

SPPS students who graduated grade 8 and are enrolling in the SPPS Online School for fall 2021 can choose any of the SPPS high schools for sports participation.

A student new to SPPS from outside of the District can play sports in their old district at the school they were enrolled in last year. If that student wants to play sports at an SPPS high school, they will be considered a "transfer student" and the MSHSL will need to determine varsity eligibility.

Yes, the SPPS Online School will follow the same calendar as all other SPPS schools. The full school year calendar is available at spps.org/calendar.

Teachers will take attendance once per day during Morning Meetings for grades K-5, Foundations for grades 6-8 and Crew for grades 9-12.

SPPS Online School will follow the same grading scale as all schools in SPPS.   

Yes, SPPS Online School students in grades 9-12 will take courses and earn required credits for graduation like they would at an in-person high school. Students and families should work with the school counselor to understand where they are with credit attainment, graduation planning and post-secondary planning.

Yes, students enrolled in the SPPS Online School will be expected to take the standardized district-wide assessments.

A parent or guardian will need to be available to assist students with navigating online learning technology as needed.

Each family will need to make plans to supervise their children during the school day.

Morning meetings (grades K-5), Foundations (grades 6-8) and Crew (grades 9-12) will have a social-emotional learning component. Individual support will also be available online.

Yes, special education and English learner programs and services will be available based on student needs.

Yes, the district will provide all services virtually as outlined in the student’s Individualized Education Plan.

In-person learning support will be limited and determined on an individualized basis. If consistent in-person support is needed, families should enroll in one of SPPS’s traditional schools.

Online students will be able to register and pre-order weekly meal box pick ups. Each meal box contains five breakfasts and five lunches. Contact-free pick up will be scheduled from 10 a.m.-noon each Friday at the Education and Operations Services building (EOS; 1930 Como). Families will need to pre-register for meal box pick up. The registration link will be live on spps.org/ns by September 1.