The Kentucky Virtual Academy, a fully online school for students in Kindergarten through 12th grade, officially opened its doors early August.
The virtual school is the first of its kind in the Commonwealth after the state legislature’s passage of House Bill 9 allowed for the operation of charter schools.
The online public school is run by the company Stride K12 and sponsored by the Cloverport Independent School District in Breckinridge County. Teachers and staff employed by the Academy are state certified, and the curriculum follows state requirements.
Sallie Johnson is the school’s principal. She said virtual learning environments can provide an alternative for kids who have physical or mental health needs.
“We have students who have illnesses, unfortunately, we have childhood illnesses, cancer, etcetera,” Johnson said. “Sometimes they're just not healthy enough to go to school, and they miss a lot of school. So, the virtual online platform is perfect for families in that kind of situation.”
Johnson also said much of the appeal from online learning comes from the flexibility. If there are closures elsewhere, the Virtual Academy can remain online for live classroom sessions.
“The kids are online with the teacher, they're getting direct instruction from the teacher, they're interacting with the teacher, and they're interacting with their fellow classmates,” Johnson said. “So, they'll have live sessions throughout the day, and they will also have opportunities to do their classwork, not online.”
The school has around 800 students enrolled, and Johnson says that number could increase as enrollment remains open.
