Delta County Joint School District has prided itself on the diversity of educational programs offered to students of all ages. Just one example is the Vision Home and Community Program, which tailors learning to each student’s interests and needs.

Now the school district has joined a growing trend and is offering an online school through the Delta County Virtual Academy.

The program debuted this summer as a credit recovery program for traditional students. This fall, the online option was offered to a broader range of students, including homeschoolers.

Through her affiliation with the Delta Opportunity School, program administrator Delaine Hudson recognized that not all students excel in the traditional brick-and-mortar school. Some students simply need a different approach. Others are doing so well in the traditional school setting that they need the challenge of specialized or advanced placement courses that aren’t offered at local high schools.

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Staying in step with modern trends has been a big point of emphasis this year for Trinidad’s schools. A new online school is a key part of keeping pace with those trends, and the project took another step toward being accomplished Tuesday.

The Board of Education of Trinidad School District #1 approved the second reading of a proposed resolution establishing an online school within the district next year. The measure will come to a decisive vote at a May meeting of the board.

High school math teacher Charlie Lochard gave a Power Point presentation outlining the plans for the proposed online school, and explaining the reasons why TSD is moving in that direction. The school’s current option for online courses, Novel Star, is not recognized by the Colorado Department of Education as one of the online programs for which schools can be reimbursed. According to figures presented at the meeting, since the 2006-2007 school year, TSD has lost a total of 36 students to online programs at other schools. That represents a loss in state reimbursement of $224,820. Lochard said that getting that funding back into the district’s coffers is a key reason for developing an online school program. Credit redemption through online classes has been a feature of the educational opportunities at TSD for several years. Kids who drop out of school, or are expelled can resume their academic careers with credit redemption through online classes.

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A new online school pilot program is set to begin next school year in Trinidad. The online school is designed to help students make progress with their learning, while working by means of their computer at home.

Students will still have to come to school for testing, and their academic activities will be closely monitored by teachers. During its first year, the online school will focus on students in grades 9-12, but Julie Sumpter said she hopes to get students from lower grades involved in the online school in the near future. Sumpter is director of learning services for Trinidad School District No. 1, and is one of the leaders in getting the pilot project underway.

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