The Felix Commonwealth Virtual School celebrated the opening of its new home at Lasell University Tuesday, August 11, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by school leaders, students, families, university officials, and local leaders.
Felix, a new tuition-free public high school, will open this fall as the first public high school of its kind in Massachusetts to operate on a college campus. The school combines online learning with opportunities for students to gather in person for academic support, social activities, and community building.
The ceremony featured remarks from Lasell University President Eric Turner, Felix Superintendent Matt Spengler, Mayor Marc Laredo, Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education Chair Katherine Craven, and Felix students.
Turner highlighted Lasell’s long history of educational innovation, dating back to its founding in 1851. He said Felix’s model fits into the university’s existing approach to intergenerational and experiential learning.
“Felix is innovation. Felix is innovative,” Turner said during the ceremony.
Spengler said Felix leaders began searching for a home for the school less than a year ago, visiting colleges and community organizations throughout the Greater Boston area. When they met with Lasell representatives, he said, the two institutions quickly recognized similarities in their approaches to education.
“And so here we are today,” Spengler said. “Thank you, President Turner, and thank you to the Lasell University community for believing in this partnership and giving us a place to thrive.”
Felix was founded around the idea of giving students greater flexibility in how and when they learn. The school’s model allows students to work at their own pace, participate in project-based learning and Socratic seminars, and pursue college coursework while still in high school.
For Seneva King, a rising 10th grader and member of Felix’s inaugural class, that flexibility was one of the biggest reasons she chose the school.
“My favorite part of it is definitely the flexibility of the schedule,” Seneva said.
Seneva previously attended online school and said deadlines had often been a source of stress. She said Felix’s flexible schedule allows her to focus on her work without feeling pressured to move at the same pace as everyone else.
Building a sense of community was also important to King. Felix has hosted social events, including an ice cream social earlier this month, giving students an opportunity to meet one another in person.
“Having friends was a big struggle being in online school,” King said. “It’s hard to make friends online, so this is very nice.”
Her mother, Shakira King, said Seneva’s excitement after attending a Felix open house helped convince the family to make the change.
“We came to the open house, and at the end of the open house, she was excited and interested,” Shakira said. “So I said, ‘All right, let’s do it.’”
Seneva had spent the previous three years in online school, her mother said, and connecting with other students had been one of the challenges.
“Then we learned about this, and I think this kind of was like the icing on the cake,” she said.
During the ceremony, Felix student Adelaide Abbott Greenwald also spoke about why she chose the school. The rising sophomore cited schedule flexibility, a quieter learning environment, and the ability to work at her own pace as factors in her decision.
Felix is beginning with ninth and 10th grades this fall, with plans to eventually serve students in grades 9 through 12. The school expects to enroll about 200 ninth- and 10th-grade students for the 2026-27 school year.
The ceremony concluded with a ribbon cutting marking the official launch of Felix’s new home on the Lasell University campus.
For Seneva’s mother, the decision to try a new educational model came down to giving her daughter an opportunity to learn in a way that works for her.
“The thing that excited Seneva the most was the fact that if she needs to slow down because she didn’t understand something, she could,” Shakira King said. “She doesn’t have to move on.”
“You miss 100% of the opportunities you don’t try,” she added. “So I think that it’s worth it to just try and see what happens.”
In-person information sessions about Felix Commonwealth Virtual School will be held at Lasell University on August 12, 15, 19, 22, 26, and 29.
