Why We’re Changing Our High School Schedule

We’ve received questions about the upcoming high school schedule change, especially during a year when the district is reducing more than $5 million from our budget. That’s a fair question — and we want to provide clear context.

This schedule change is not an expansion. It is a strategic realignment focused on one of the most important drivers of our district’s long-term financial stability:

Keeping students enrolled in Stillwater schools.

Across the country, districts are facing increasing enrollment pressure from options like PSEO, online learning, charter schools, private schools, and homeschooling. When students leave, district funding decreases. Over time, that leads to fewer opportunities and deeper reductions.

In Stillwater, participation in PSEO and online learning has increased. If we do not respond to what students and families are seeking, we will continue to lose enrollment revenue.

This schedule change is designed to strengthen the high school experience by:

• Expanding access to coursework
• Increasing scheduling flexibility
• Providing more opportunities for students to personalize their learning while remaining enrolled in Stillwater

Encouragingly, more than 700 students have already registered for online coursework in each semester next year. We've also seen high interest in our new associates of arts degree and certification programs. That level of interest shows students want expanded options — and we are responding.

As implementation moves forward, we will closely monitor enrollment trends, PSEO participation, and online learning data to evaluate the impact on student retention and long-term district stability.

It’s important to note: This schedule change is being paid for within the high school’s existing budget. We will be adjusting staffing and course offerings to match current enrollment and attendance.

At the same time, the district’s broader budget adjustment process is ongoing as we work to address a $5 million shortfall. Additional details about reductions and next steps will be shared in early March. This process is completely separate from the high school schedule change and would have been necessary regardless.

We appreciate the community’s support as we make necessary reductions while also taking strategic steps to protect long-term stability and keep students learning in Stillwater Area Public Schools.