This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Schools

LEUSD Online Charter School Ready To Go

Online summer school was a success and enrollment is building for the Southern California Online Academy as the school year nears.

All indications are that the Southern California Online Academy, the newest addition to the Lake Elsinore Unified School District, will hit the road running with a program that has caught the attention of students.

Online summer school was a success and enrollment is building for the academy, with the online charter school ready to begin session Aug. 10, district officials say. The goal is to start with 300 students, and the target can be met if parents turn in enrollment paperwork on time, said Southern California Online Academy Principal Veronica Godinez.

Online summer school had a different staff, software program and curriculum than what the online academy will have for the full school year. But the online concept was a hit with many students this summer, said Mark Dennis, district coordinator of community and media relations.

Find out what's happening in Lake Elsinore-Wildomarwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“What we learned is that many students who never had an online learning experience felt very comfortable with it,” Dennis said. “Some who had problems in the classroom flourished. Some are finding success that hadn’t had it before.”

Dennis described it as a very personal learning model where students know where they stand with instructors. Also, online school has fewer distractions as long as the student has a quiet learning environment at home.

Find out what's happening in Lake Elsinore-Wildomarwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“Summer school proved this model is here to stay,” Dennis said.

Godinez pointed out that many Lakeside High School students who took online summer school classes plan to continue taking online classes with the online academy. They have enrolled full time and left behind the “brick and mortar” school environment, she said.

The online summer school experience and word of mouth should significantly boost enrollment. But the district also counts on advertising, special promotions, an e-mail blast to parents and social media to get the message out.

Freeway billboards have already been erected and more are planned. The academy also posted signs at Lake Elsinore Diamond Stadium.

The academy has a $50,000 advertising and promotion budget and the amount could grow as the Lake Elsinore Unified School District moves into a new budget year.

Dennis said the academy will consider newspaper, PennySaver and radio advertising to reach more potential students and their families.

Besides enrolling Lake Elsinore students, the online academy will accept students in other nearby districts and counties. Students from Riverside, San Bernardino, Imperial, San Diego and Orange counties can enroll.

The online academy will be powered by curriculum provided by K-12 Inc. The academy kicks off with a $100,000 operating budget.

Tuition is free. School supplies for the program will be delivered to homes with enrolled children.

The central office for the online academy is at 1405 Education Way, Lake Elsinore.

 

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?