Original Research by School Decision on 196online Elementary
196Online Elementary is a full-time virtual public school serving kindergarten through fifth grade and is part of the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan school district in Minnesota. The school was launched by the district as a permanent online learning option for families, and it operates as a regular public school rather than a charter, magnet, or alternative program. This means it is governed by the district’s curriculum, policies, and teacher assignments, but instruction happens remotely.
Because the school serves only elementary grades, it does not report a graduation rate, and the youngest tested grades in Minnesota begin at third grade, so a family considering this school should understand that it is a full-time virtual program rather than a supplemental or hybrid model. What is most striking about 196Online Elementary is the extremely small number of students enrolled and the suppressed state testing data that results from those numbers. The school’s total enrollment is reported as zero for the latest year available, and enrollment counts for each individual grade level also are zero. This likely reflects a very small student body, possibly one where the numbers are too low to report publicly without risking student identification, or where enrollment data was not captured in the typical way for the school year referenced. Because the student counts are so low, the state suppressed proficiency results for every tested subject and grade: math, English language arts, and science at grades three, four, and five. A parent will not find a proficiency rate or a scale score for any subject or grade level. The participation rates on the state assessments were low, with fewer than half of students in each grade participating in some cases, which also makes the results unreliable for drawing conclusions about academic performance.
The student body appears to be extremely small, and no demographic breakdowns are available for race and ethnicity, economic disadvantage, special education, or English learner status. The data does not report a free or reduced-price lunch rate, the share of students with disabilities, or the share of English learners. This is a significant gap for any family trying to understand the peer environment or the level of specialized support offered. The school environment section also provides no information on discipline rates, chronic absenteeism, staffing ratios, or course access, which are standard context points for in-person schools but may look different in a virtual setting. A parent should ask the district directly about class sizes, teacher assignment policies, live instruction hours, and the specific special education and English learner services available through the online program.
196Online Elementary is one of several schools in the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan district, a large suburban district that also includes traditional brick-and-mortar elementary schools and a recently opened new school, Emerald Trail Elementary, which expanded elementary capacity in Rosemount. The district also runs 196Online High School, so the virtual program is a full KG-12 pathway for families who want it. The district’s funding relies heavily on a locally passed operating referendum that generates a substantial share of its general fund revenue from local property taxes, which means district voters have consistently supported local school spending, but it also means property tax bills in the district are higher than in areas without such a referendum.
Rosemount itself is a fast-growing community in Dakota County, located a short drive south of the Twin Cities. It combines heavy industrial employers like Flint Hills Resources with an expanding residential area of single-family homes and townhomes. Housing values in the zip code are above the national median home value, with home prices roughly in line with the statewide benchmark, and rents have been rising. The city is predominantly auto-oriented, with four major highways running through it, and a historic downtown that serves as a gathering point. The population has grown substantially in recent years, with hundreds of new homes under construction and more than enough industrial and commercial land reserved for continued development. For a family considering a full-time virtual school, this community context matters: the school is not tied to a physical attendance zone in the way a traditional elementary is, so a family could live anywhere in the district or even outside it if the district allows, but the school’s administrative address is in Rosemount. The rapid growth of the community means the district is actively managing enrollment pressures, which makes the existence of a virtual option a practical alternative for families who prefer not to send their child to a crowded in-person school or who have a need for remote instruction.
The bottom line for a family evaluating 196Online Elementary is that there is essentially no standardized achievement data to review, which is a direct consequence of the school’s tiny enrollment. That does not mean the school is failing or succeeding; it means a parent cannot use test scores as a benchmark. The school fits a very specific need: a family that already knows they want a full-time KG-5 virtual public school within a large, well-funded district that also offers a connected middle and high school online program. If a parent is open to an in-person elementary, the district’s traditional schools in Rosemount will offer far more transparent performance data, a larger peer group, and a more typical set of enrichment programs. For a parent committed to a virtual elementary, the best next step is a direct conversation with the school or district office about teacher-student interaction, curriculum structure, daily schedules, and how the school supports families new to full-time online learning.
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