BEDFORD — The Bedford Academy of Virtual Learning, a program that has offered online learning to county and out-of-county students for the past two years, is logging off.
The Bedford County School Board voted Thursday to terminate the program after the current school year because of low enrollment and the school’s gloomy revenue forecast.
The division began the program, one of the first of its kind in Virginia, during the 2008-09 school year for students from kindergarten through seventh grade. It enrolled 45 its first year and 36 this year — 40 were local while the rest were from outside the county during its existence.
After renegotiating a contract with K-12 Inc., the company that developed the online curriculum, for the current year and increasing out-of-county students’ tuition fees, the program continued to operate at a $6,000 loss for the school division, according to a report from an evaluation committee.
Assistant Superintendent Cherie Whitehurst, who served the committee, said in these economic times it felt the division needs to focus on more “established” programs.
The program helped home-schooled students reconnect with the division and allowed students who were not able to attend school to continue quality academic work, according to the report. Disadvantages were costs, a small enrollment number and the area’s lack of high-speed Internet capabilities.
School board members said Thursday they wanted the program’s users to be notified as soon possible and offered information about a similar program in Carroll County.
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