A virtual academy for students in grades K-5 will be offered in Plano ISD during the 2022-23 school year.
The district is accepting applications for the program through Jan. 29.
Eligible students must be entering kindergarten through fifth grade in the 2022-2023 school year and reside within the Plano ISD area. Students who do not live within the district are not eligible to apply.
Other requirements include having an attendance rate of at least 90% during the 2020-21 school year and being passed or promoted to the next grade level.
Texas’ Senate Bill 15 provides districts with funding for virtual learning curriculums through the 2022-23 school year. It does not provide for a pre-kindergarten program.
In October, hundreds of Plano ISD parents withdrew their children from the district’s virtual academy. Parents told The Dallas Morning News they found the Edgenuity learning software program to be glitchy and not user-friendly for students and themselves. Some questioned the quality and rigor of the program and said they were concerned about a lack of facetime with teachers.
The computer-based curriculum relies heavily on prerecorded videos, online reading and assessments that are typically graded by computer algorithms.
According to Plano ISD’s website, students will spend 60-90 minutes per day in a live session with their teachers in each core content area. The remainder of the school day will involve a customized learning program that is not with a live teacher.
Applications for the virtual academy are available on Plano ISD’s website.
