The new program became an option for public schools after the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 569, which allows school districts to receive full funding for students learning remotely, according to district documents.
The gist
AISD is bringing hybrid and virtual learning options for its students in an effort to compete with homeschooling, officials said.
“People want choice, and public school needs to be more creative in how they compete,” trustee Josh Westrom said.
Westrom said some of the high schools in the district could also become overcrowded in future years, and the new hybrid and virtual programs could mitigate that.
The district is planning to use Edgenuity for its program, a free program for students with seven classes or fewer, according to a presentation from Assistant Superintendent Dawn Jordan.
A closer look
Students will be able to enroll at the beginning of each semester, but can move back to in-person learning at any time, according to the presentation. Participants of the program will have the following requirements:
- Enrolled in ninth through 12th grade
- No serious discipline issues for two years
- Regular attendance for two years
- Passing grades in all subjects for two years
- Satisfactory progress on state assessments
The district is still examining a potential cap for the number of students participating in the program.
“What I heard from some districts is they didn’t set their cap until they knew they were there. At some point, they said, ‘this is all we can do,'” Jordan said. “I just don’t know what that number is.”
