Matt Stanfill, principal of Battle Ground Virtual Academy, told the Battle Ground School District board on the district's afternoon work session that BGVA's enrollment has climbed from about 195 students a year ago to roughly 710 as of the presentation, including 438 full-time students.

Stanfill said BGVA is planning to graduate about 90 students this school year and described a wide range of student needs served by the program, from students recovering from suicide attempts to NCAA Division I–level applicants. "BGVA removes academic barriers while maintaining academic academic integrity to help still students learn and thrive," Stanfill said.

The matter matters because the district must review and annually approve school improvement plans as a condition of receiving state basic education funding, and because BGVA's growth affects district staffing, budgeting and program oversight. District staff and board members spent much of the discussion pressing on how the school can sustain growth while maintaining services and complying with forthcoming audits.

Background and scale: Stanfill said BGVA previously operated under River HomeLink, then separated and has expanded rapidly in its second year as a stand-alone option. He told the board the program attracted students from other districts and out-of-district enrollments have brought approximately $2,500,000 into the district so far in the current period. Stanfill said the school serves the full K–12 range and includes special education services and multiple learning platforms to meet different student needs.

Students served and outcomes: Stanfill described students who require alternative arrangements, including students in juvenile facilities and students who are homebound due to anxiety. He also described students pursuing competitive athletics and college applications. He said BGVA uses four different learning platforms to tailor instruction and reported a cohort of seniors projected to graduate.

Accountability and licensing: Stanfill said the school resubmitted an application for a multi-district license (a statewide approval administered through OSPI, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction) after missing approval by one point the prior year. He said the application window closes July 31 and district staff expect results later this school year. He also said BGVA will undergo an accreditation audit for past-year operations and acknowledged the program's prior recordkeeping (attendance and compliance) had relied on ad hoc spreadsheets; the school has implemented a new data system called School Data in preparation for the audit.

Staffing and capacity: Board members and staff asked about the program's ability to hire teachers and the effect of growth on other district schools. Stanfill and district staff described weekly staffing coordination meetings to match interest lists, teacher availability and course loads across BGVA and traditional district schools. Stanfill said some teachers at the program previously carried very large numbers of distinct preparations (he cited examples up to 19 preps) and the district has been working to rebalance assignments; he said a current teacher example had as many as 11 preps. District staff emphasized the need to limit BGVA enrollments when staffing capacity is constrained to avoid underutilizing teachers at Battleground High School or Prairie.

Assessment and accountability data: District staff clarified that the state's recent guidance on Smarter Balanced performance levels affects interpretation of proficiency rates: levels 3 and 4 remain college- and career-ready measures, level 2 is now treated as foundational grade-level achievement (not strictly "nonproficient"), and only level 1 is considered nonproficient under the clarified guidance. Using that reinterpretation raised BGVA's math and ELA percentages when recalculated; the point was raised during the board's questions about the math goal.

Next steps and board follow-up: Board members and staff agreed to place BGVA on an upcoming board meeting agenda for a fuller update. Stanfill and staff said they will continue weekly staffing meetings, monitor audit readiness, and await the multi-district licensing decision. No formal board action or vote on BGVA occurred during the work session.

Ending: The session paused for a short break after BGVA's presentation; the board then proceeded to a separate presentation by Battle Ground High School. The district said the full set of school improvement plans will be brought to the board for approval at a future meeting on February 10.