In August, students who cannot attend Santa Rosa County schools in a regular classroom have a new option to receive credits. The school district has a new option – the Virtual School – it can offer to receive funding for more students from the state.
Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum Bill Price says the Virtual School option will be ready for the next school year.
“The state mandated last year that we begin working on virtual schooling for kindergarten through 12th grade,” Price said. “We have to have it in place by the beginning of this next school year. For the high school component, we will use Florida Virtual High School at a cost of $39.95 per student. The statute says we have to offer this to students free of charge. But we will then be able to claim those students in our head count for state funding.”
Price said for the K-8 program the district will purchase the program and run its own Virtual School program.
“We will share the same franchise manager that Okaloosa County is using. They have been running their Virtual School for more than a year now, so they know what they are doing,” Price said.
Virtual School is an alternative for students expelled or suspended instead of going to the Learning Academy or using home- schooling. Price said there are 19 students already using the Virtual School program, but beginning next year the district can claim those students in head count. There also are 800 students in the county participating in homeschooling right now.
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Virtual School option to be available this school year by Pam Brannon
From GulfBreezeNews.com
