Waynesboro weighs virtual school

Waynesboro school officials are weighing whether to offer a virtual high school to local students.

The district’s instructional experts say such a school would provide an online learning option for students with different learning styles.

Waynesboro School Board members say they worry about virtual schools students lacking socialization with classmates, as in a traditional setting.

Online education was one of the initiatives touted by Gov. Robert F. McDonnell during last fall’s gubernatorial race. Earlier this year, he signed into law virtual school legislation co-sponsored by House District 20 Del. Dickie Bell, R-Staunton.

The Virginia Department of Education is compling virtual school criteria with the goal of a fall 2011 start. The criteria will include state monitoring, revocation and appeals processes.

Proponents of virtual schools say online learning offers an option for students who perform better in a non-traditional setting.

Virtual school teachers are certified by the state, and the students who enroll in online programs are counted as part of a district’s enrollment, a factor in how much schools collect in state subsidies.

The Waynesboro Schools would use the same vendor it has the past two summers for summer school, CompuHigh. CompuHigh is accredited by a nationally recognized body, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

“It is something we are looking at,’’ said Sue Wright, director of instruction at Waynesboro Schools.

Wright said CompuHigh has worked well with Waynesboro summer school students, providing vigorous online lesson plans and strong results for students in Standards of Learning tests.

Students can communicate with their teachers by phone, e-mail or by video conferencing.

Still, Waynesboro School Board member Jeremy Taylor isn’t so sure about the concept.

“I just don’t know if a student is going to receive the same level of education if they were going through and graduating in the building,’’ Taylor said. He said students attending classes in person interact with their teachers, peers and others.

Taylor also wondered about how the district would discipline online students or how extracurricular activities would figure in.

Another board member, Jonathan Lovelady, said he sees virtual schools as an option, but the question is the need for different learning styles versus socialization.

“These are things we will have to work out before we venture into virtual schools,’’ Lovelady said. Society emphasizes a team environment and people working together, Lovelady said.

Wright said virtual schools offer many positives, and she will get answers in the coming weeks to the questions Taylor, Lovelady and other school board members raised.

Wright said students enrolled in a virtual high school would be monitored, and the Waynesboro Schools would partner with CompuHigh to help those students.

Bell, who retired as an Augusta County special education teacher over the summer, said the socialization questions have been raised with homeschoolers and other students who pursue a non-traditional education route.

He said virtual schools students frequently band together for activities and take their own field trips.

The students also still have a normal range of activities and attend movies and go the mall.

“I see a lot of potential for it,’’ Bell said. “It (virtual school) will not replace the traditional classroom.” Students who are homebound because of health reasons would benefit.

“This is a great way for them to keep up. It fills a need, a number of needs,’’ Bell said.