Oconto Falls School District ends TRITON partnership

By: 
Warren Bluhm
Editor-in-chief

The Oconto Falls School District is ending its relationship with the TRITON distance learning consortium at the end of this school year.

The School Board on April 11 unanimously approved Superintendent Dean Hess’ recommendation that the district leave TRITON.

Created decades ago to offer classes via closed-circuit television to rural schools in Northeast Wisconsin, TRITON once was comprised of as many as 14 school districts. The number has dwindled in recent years as the internet began to provide more cost-effective alternatives.

“Since we have created a partnership with the (Medford-based) Rural Virtual Academy, we do not see it as being beneficial to the school district to continue as a member of the TRITON Consortium,” Hess said. “We have been in the consortium for many years; it has served us well up until this point.”

The decision has been coming for several years. Hess said the district warned TRITON officials a year ago to give them an opportunity to plan ahead.