Lasell University Celebrates Opening of Felix Commonwealth Virtual School on Newton Campus

NEWTON, Mass. — August 20, 2026 — Lasell University President Eric M. Turner joined Newton Mayor Marc Laredo, Massachusetts education leaders, Felix Commonwealth Virtual School Superintendent Matthew Spengler, students and their families on Tuesday, August 11th, to celebrate the opening of Felix’s new home on the Lasell University campus.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony at Donahue Plaza marked the opening of a new home for the Felix Commonwealth Virtual School, a tuition-free public high school that combines flexible online learning with opportunities for in-person academic support, collaboration and community-building.

“Felix is innovative. And it becomes part of our internationally recognized model of intergenerational community learning,” Turner said during the ceremony.

In addition to Turner, speakers included Spengler, Laredo and Katherine Craven, Chair of the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

“A school like Felix removes barriers and meets students and learners where they are,” Craven said.

Felix Commonwealth Virtual School is approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and provides students with a flexible, technology-enabled approach to high school education. Students engage in digital coursework while also having access to an in-person learning hub at Lasell, where they can participate in academic support, social activities, collaboration and enrichment opportunities.

“Felix is a school where students can learn at their own pace, demonstrate what they have learned in multiple ways and pursue their passions,” Spengler said.

The Felix model offers students competency-based pacing and opportunities to earn college credit, giving students greater flexibility and autonomy in determining where, when and how they learn. Classes begin this fall.

Lasell will serve as Felix’s first campus site, with the school initially serving students in grades 9 and 10 and plans to eventually expand to grades 11 and 12.  

The partnership represents the latest evolution of Lasell’s longstanding commitment to innovation and intergenerational learning. The University’s Newton campus is home not only to undergraduate and graduate students, but also to Lasell Village, an award-winning continuing care retirement community; an early childhood program that includes preschool and daycare; and, beginning this September, the Felix Commonwealth Virtual School.