Anybody go to cyber school

[todpod]

My kids go to a small (250 kids k-12) school, and funding is drying up quick. about 2/3 of the county lie in the Allegheny National Forest, so it can be taxed, but the school received $$ from the logging in the forest to make up for it. That has pretty much dried up, No the state is putting the smackdown on he local school districts in how the can raise local taxes and reduced funding to the district a well, in addition most of the county lives under the federal poverty line.. I was talking to my uncle who is on the school board and he stated that there is enough money to get us through 08-09 school year, but beyond that it is really uncertain.

It great now we live about 1500' from the school, if they close this and have to be bused they will probably have an hour and half bus ride to school and back. So we ae trying to think of alternatives for the kiddies before it becomes a critical situation. Moving isn't a option at this point, any many of the other local schools are hurting as well and may face consolidation as well so the bus trip could get longer depending on how this plays out.

PA has about 12 charter cyber schools, and provide the computers and everything needed to attend, just wondering about peoples experiances, we will have 3 kids involved in school in a couple of years.

Any thoughts?

 

[RKS]

Is this like the University of Phoenix Elementary? This sounds like home-schooling meets IM.

We are lucky in that we have both great public and private school systems to choose from; I guess that is one advantage of high local taxes.

 

[todpod]

PA has several B&M charter schools, but nothing close to here. The cyber charter schools started about 7 or eight years ago. They are regulated by the PA Dept of education and paid for by the local school district from tax money, so they are real schools. They offer grades k-12 state approved cirriclum.

Here is an example Text

 

[Apathetic]

I wish I could offer some help. My dad lives in Sheffield now (about half way between you and Warren) so I'm pretty familiar with the area. It's a beautiful area but the economy is generally in the gutter.

Dave

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

What about home schooling them with the help of others in the area? Get a group of 20 or 30 people together and home school them, with the thought that there should be enough parents in that group's families that someone can teach each subject maybe once a week? Not sure how it would work, but I think the idea of online schooling is somewhat stupid, one of the largest reasons to go to school is for the social aspect.

 

[RadiclDreamer]

Check into state laws, WV has a law that the children cannot be on the bus for more than 1hr.

 

[Bateluer]

I'd find away to keep the local school open. Online schooling for elementary students sounds like an idea doomed to failure. College age students and adults can pull it off because they can be sole motivated. Very rarely do elementary age students able to pull off such motivation.