Washington Public Microschool Collaborative
A school within a school—where every child is known and thrives.
What This Could Look Like in Your District
Districts are facing increasing, compounding pressure:
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Declining enrollment and unstable funding
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Rising student disengagement and absenteeism
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Growing mental health needs affecting attendance, behavior, and learning
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Increasing strain on special education and staff capacity
These challenges aren’t stabilizing—they’re accelerating.
At the same time, many students are not thriving in traditional, one-size-fits-all models.
A Practical, Low-Risk Way to Launch a Public Microschool—Within Your Existing Schools
The Challenge:
The Opportunity
Launch a small, low-risk public microschool pilot within an existing school.
A 30–60 student, K–8 school-within-a-school designed to:
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Re-engage students not thriving in traditional settings
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Attract and retain families seeking a more personalized option
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Strengthen enrollment and stabilize funding
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Support student well-being—before needs escalate
▶ All within your existing system.
▶ Using staff, space, and resources you already have.
What This Looks Like in Practice
A public microschool is a small, student-centered learning community inside a larger school. In practice, that means:
30–60 students in a dedicated space or “studio”
Real-world, meaningful, project-based work
Mixed-age or flexible grouping
Every student known well by a consistent adult
Learning organized around mastery, not seat time
Strong emphasis on belonging, agency, and purpose
This is not a separate program or alternative track.
It is a different way of organizing learning—within the public system you already operate.
This is not theoretical—it is already working in schools across the country.
What Leading Schools Are Already Demonstrating
Across the country, innovative schools are demonstrating what’s possible when learning is designed around each student.
Schools like Khan Lab School and Alpha School share common design elements:
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Small, relationship-centered environments
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Personalized, mastery-based learning
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High levels of student ownership and agency
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Flexible pacing and, in some cases, multi-age structures
However, these models are typically private and costly:
1
Khan Lab School
Approximately $35,000–$40,000 per year
2
Alpha School
Approximately $40,000–$75,000 per year
Until now, models like these have been accessible primarily to a small number of families.
Public microschools create the opportunity to bring these same principles into public education—within existing schools, and available to all students.
Why This Works
Decades of research and practice point to a consistent truth.
Students learn and thrive in environments with:
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Strong relationships and a sense of belongin
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Personalized learning pathways aligned to each student
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Real-world, engaging, meaningful learning
These conditions don’t just improve learning—
they also strengthen well-being and reduce behavioral and attendance challenges.
District Impact
This model is designed to deliver measurable benefits:
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Enrollment & Funding
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Recaptures and retains students
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Offers a compelling public option for families
Student Outcomes
Pilot Snapshot
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30–60 students (K–8)
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Built within an existing school
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Uses current staff, space, and resources
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Designed for flexibility, personalization, and strong relationships
Start small → measure impact → expand over time
Fast to launch. Low risk. High potential impact.
Why Now
The challenge is not only funding—it is system design.
Districts are being asked to solve new problems within a model that was not built for today’s needs.
A public microschool pilot provides a practical way to respond immediately—without disrupting the broader system.
Next Step
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Identify students not well served today
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Consider a small, cost-neutral pilot
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Explore how this could work in your district