More students moving to virtual academies, private schools

Smaller classes and 'educational freedom' are driving migration

(This is the second of three articles being published this week on the issue of education, including local public school budget challenges, growth in the area's charter, private and virtual academy student population and the impact of No Child Left Behind in the classroom.)

SANDPOINT -- At the start of each academic year, Idaho takes a basic headcount of the student population for the first couple of months of school. That number is then filtered through a screen that includes a teacher salary index, employee benefits and transportation costs. The number that tumbles out determines how much money various districts receive to support operations for the coming year.

The recipe could be described as: Take one part simple arithmetic, one part advanced calculus, stir and serve something that no one is entirely happy with. If student numbers are down during the first nine weeks of school, as they have been for Lake Pend Oreille School District (LPOSD) over the past two years, even less money falls through the screen.

And there is now more competition than ever from options that appear to be drawing away student population from "traditional" public schools. On the local level, parents can opt for their children to attend classes in grades 6-8 at the Sandpoint Charter School, or go through grades K-11 completely outside of the classroom setting by enrolling in one of four "virtual academies" now available in Idaho. In both cases, state funding follows the students who make the move.

Tuition-based private schools in the Sandpoint area are also benefiting from this student migration. Although they receive no funding from the state, each time a student shifts from public to private school, less money goes into the district budget.

Based on LPOSD estimates for next school year, student attendance during the critical first nine weeks of school will have dropped by nearly 400 students over a three-year period -- a total attendance decrease of 9.4 percent compared with when the district was formed in 1999. During that same period, the combined headcount for charter, virtual and private schools in the area has grown to at least 500 students -- a trend that shows no signs of slowing, based on increased parent interest and projections for expansion in all three options.

Learning in a virtual worldThe Idaho Virtual Academy (IDVA) started six years ago with on-line classes for kindergarten through fifth grade. To keep up with demand, a grade level has been added every year.

 Read more: http://www.bonnercountydailybee.com/articles/2008/02/23/news/news01.txt