The Olathe School District has announced that it will make the option for students to learn remotely permanently available through a new, dedicated virtual school.
The new program is called Olathe Virtual School, and is open to students of all grade levels residing anywhere in the Olathe School District. Like schools districts around the world, Olathe has introduced virtual schooling options to allow for education to continue while allowing social distancing. Olathe Virtual School is designed for students or families who excelled in the virtual format and prefer it to in-person instruction. The program requires students to be self-motivated learners and have adult supervision during school hours.
Olathe Virtual School will offer a curriculum designed specifically for distance learning, while containing the same content as traditional education. Instead of adapting already-existing lessons and schedules for online education, the Virtual School will start afresh with its own dedicated staff and resources, and even its own mascot – the Raptor.
Experimental programs like these, often promoted and explained through means like poster printing and websites, can help students to find the learning situation that is right for them. While some classes are impractical in a digital environment, plans are underway for virtual students to be able to participate in extracurricular activities like sports teams and bands.
The digital doors will open at Olathe Virtual School this fall, with sign-up open to all Olathe residents.
