A first-of-its-kind high school will open Sept. 2, welcoming students in Needham and surrounding communities to participate in a hybrid learning model, free of charge.
Felix Commonwealth Virtual School will blend online instruction from Arizona State University Prep’s Khan World School with in-person support on Lasell University’s Newton campus. The idea of the hybrid model is to combine the flexibility of a virtual approach with the relational depth of in-person learning.
“While we’re brand new, we’re actually implementing a well-established framework for student learning and student achievement,” said founding principal Russell Marino. “Which I think is a really important thing for families to know, because investing in a new school does take a bit of a leap of faith.”
Although online public high schools are not new to Massachusetts, Felix will be the first virtual school in the state to offer an in-person hub on a college campus.
“It’s an opportunity to create a school that fits for each student, as opposed to having students trying to fit a school structure,” said founding superintendent Matt Spengler. “We have the freedom and flexibility to really design a pathway for teenagers to move through high schools with a lot more say in what that looks like.” Spengler is also a member of the Needham School committee.
The concept for Felix originated in the spring of 2022 with a group of educators hoping to improve the virtual school experience.
“Our original vision was to create a transformative and innovative school model where students
have the flexibility and support to learn anytime, anywhere,” said Felix School board chair Yeshi Lamour.
An application to open what will be the third Massachusetts’ Commonwealth Virtual School was approved by the state board. Following state approval, the project was temporarily paused to give those involved time to prepare for the next steps. About a year ago, preparations for Felix began in earnest.
A model that ‘works for everyone’
Like a traditional brick-and-mortar public school, Felix’s funding will come from the state, allowing students to attend tuition-free. Students’ local school districts will be responsible for paying a certain amount per student enrolled in a set-up similar to that of charter and technical schools.
The school has been approved to begin with grades 9 and 10 this year, adding 11th grade the following year, and 12th the year after. Per state regulations, students must live within a 90-minute commute of Lasell. So far, 40 students from more than 25 communities are enrolled for September 2026, including one student from Needham.
“The ultimate growth goal is to welcome 200 this year, 400 next year, 700 the year after,” Marino said. “So it’s an ambitious goal for growth.”
The school, he said, has attracted students building on homeschool experiences, competitive athletes with demanding training schedules, younger students ready to engage high school academics, and those struggling to succeed in traditional school settings.
Academic model?
Felix emphasizes a mastery-based approach for advancing students, allowing them to move at their own pace until they are proficient in the material (equivalent of a “B” grade) or have mastered it (equivalent of an “A”). Those who qualify will be able to earn college credit through ASU courses.
“We don’t expect every 14-year-old to come to Felix knowing how to manage their time, and knowing how to get things done in an effective and efficient way — that’s our job,” said Spengler. “Our job is to create a school where students get to develop those competencies in a super supportive, low-risk environment.” Spengler added that Felix’s hybrid model mirrors the reality of many contemporary careers.
Per state regulations, students will not be required to attend in-person, but Marino said they will be highly encouraged to do so. Felix’s in-person hub, located in a corner of Lasell’s Science and Technology Center, will be available 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
“The hope is that we can build a really warm, fun, engaging environment where the kids just want to be here because their friends are here, their teachers are here, and their relationships are so good that [students] want to be here for those,” he said.
Building a school from the ground up
The novelty of Felix’s model attracted Marino to apply as principal, saying that it combines his background in both school administration and asynchronous, competency-based models of learning — most recently, as manager of career pathways for Phoenix Charter Academy.
In the school’s first few months, Marino will effectively serve as registrar, enrollment coordinator, guidance counselor, house guide, etc. “In a lot of places, the principal is fundamentally detached from the student experience,” he said. “And here, I get to be square in the middle of it, because we’re going to start nice and small.”
Spengler will work together with Marino to get Felix off the ground. While Marino will be in charge of day-to-day operations, student safety and success, Spengler will be responsible for developing strategy and identifying areas of growth in tandem with the board of trustees.
“I think there’s something very special about being able to create a new learning community, where you have all these students and families and educators coming together to build something innovative and special,” said Spengler.
“Every part of what we’re trying to do,” said Marino, “has rarely, if ever, been done in Massachusetts before, which to me is super exciting.”
Save as PDF