Going offline: Virtual academy in District 91 closing after contractor unable to continue service

IDAHO FALLS — The Virtual Preparatory Academy of Idaho (VPREP) is closing its integer doors aft nan institution providing nan work trim disconnected its statement pinch Idaho Fall School District 91.

“(ACCEL Schools, nan contractor,) sent america a missive connected June 20 that they were terminating nan statement owed to operational and financial reasons,” Idaho Falls School District 91 Superintendent Karla LaOrange said.

The virtual schoolhouse held classes for 1 year, starting successful August 2023. It served 203 students — including 56 successful precocious school, 84 successful mediate schoolhouse and 63 successful simple school.

About 35% of nan students unrecorded successful Idaho Falls, LaOrange said.

“I interest astir nan families,” LaOrange said. “We want to thief and support them done this modulation and thief it beryllium arsenic soft arsenic imaginable for them.”

She said nan reasons why individuals chose to be VPREP varied pinch each student.

“For some, it useful successful their schedule better. For some, it was to reside intelligence wellness concerns. For some, they conscionable felt that it was nan champion action for their family,” LaOrange explained.

The territory primitively signed a five-year statement pinch ACCEL Schools successful December 2022.

“The contractor provided nan curriculum, they provided nan platform, each of that, and we collaborated pinch them a small bit, but nan mostly of nan activity was done by nan contractor,” she said.

Virtual Preparatory Academy employed 9 teachers connected District 91 contracts.

The teachers provided regular instruction to students and did not person anterior notification from ACCEL Schools that nan virtual academy would not beryllium continuing.

“We’re moving pinch them and encouraging them to use for different opportunities,” LaOrange said. “The mostly of those teachers did not unrecorded successful nan Idaho Falls area truthful it’s a small spot much challenging for them to return advantage of what nan territory has to offer.”

High schoolhouse students who person completed credits tin transportation them to District 91 schools.

According to its website, ACCEL operates 92 schools and serves 32,000 students. EastIdahoNews.com reached retired to a typical from ACCEL for comment.

She stated nan Idaho Falls schoolhouse was not connected her list, contempt it being included connected nan company’s website, and was incapable to mention america to anyone for further comment.

LaOrange said ACCEL had a beardown program and specialized successful online education.

In nan future, nan territory whitethorn see different options to again connection an online schoolhouse option.

“I would foresee, successful nan adjacent twelvemonth aliases two, that would beryllium thing we would explore,” LaOrange said.

In nan interim, students and families affected by nan closure are being encouraged to activity pinch their section schoolhouse territory aliases sojourn nan Idaho State Department of Education’s School Choice website to look astatine options to proceed their acquisition journey.

A woman signs successful for her online studies. | Courtesy Envato banal images