The number of new online programs approved by the Minnesota Department of Education has skyrocketed. More new programs have been approved this year than in any prior year, and many more could be approved before the start of the 2021-22 school year.
Column chart of annual school year data showing the number of new online school providers approved by the Minnesota Department of Education each year. Until 2020-2021, fewer than 10 new online programs were approved each year, but in 2020-2021, nearly 20 have been approved with more than 40 applications or planned applications in the pipeline, according to the Minnesota Department of Education.