The ’s new online high school will open in September with about 100 students, but could have as many as 1,000 by next year, reported Principal Robert Nye.
That’s because starting next year, students at the district’s six comprehensive high schools will be able to take up to two online courses, Nye told the Board of Trustees at its meeting Monday.
In true, online-school fashion, Nye gave his presentation remotely, livestreaming it from district offices on the other side of the I-5 Freeway.
“We thought it was important to give you a glimpse of the technology,” said Julie Hatchel, assistant superintendent of education services.
While mostly online, , as the s, students must attend some classes – such as science labs and P.E. – in person with a teacher and have the option from time to time to attend livestreamed lessons in person if they prefer, Nye said.
The district is incorporating a number of tools from Cisco to allow for livestreaming and archiving of lessons and desktop sharing, Nye said.
The school will open with 98 ninth- and 10th-graders, Nye said. District officials had anticipating enrolling 125.
But that number could swell to 1,000 as early as next year, when all high school students in CUSD may be able to enroll up to two online classes.
Nye sees this option as filling in the gaps for principals at the brick-and-mortars who can no longer offer smaller classes because of .
“Obviously, principals are having to make hard choices now” as they look to fill their master schedules, Nye said. The new technology may allow some schools to keep smaller classes, such as AP Art History, if one teacher can instruct several schools’ students.
In other news, the board voted 5-2, with Trustees Ellen Addonizio and Sue Palazzo dissenting, . Among the positions are supervisors who monitor students on in-school suspension.
