LAUREL, Mont. – The Laurel Public School District is taking steps to create a virtual charter school. They have submitted an application to the Montana Board of Education for this initiative.
Superintendent Matt Torix explained the motivation behind this move. He noted a decline in public school attendance both in Laurel and across the state. “Not because we’re necessarily losing students nationwide, but there is a decline in students going to public school they’re looking for other options. So how can schools help with some of that, how can the state help with some of that, so they’re offering these charter school options and this is just one option that we’re looking at, we’re actually looking at more down the road, but this is one option we’re looking at to try and help a certain population of kids,” said Torix.
The proposed virtual academy aims to offer more educational choices for parents. Torix believes this could be beneficial for students who face medical or mental health challenges that make attending in-person classes difficult. The virtual school would be an extension of the public school system, allowing students to enroll for free…