Should You Consider an Accredited Online School This Fall?
This is an ongoing debate in the minds of many parents right now, especially if our school leaders leave the decision to us: Should we allow our children to return to class? Do we opt for a fully virtual school option if it offers one? Will we start our own training co-op ? Another option is often overlooked in this maddening win-win situation: You can also send them to an accredited online school for a semester or a full year.
Do you want to pick them up from regular school and even virtually from their friends and classmates? No you do not know. But you also don’t want any other part of this pandemic, and the truth is, schools that have only been online for years are likely to be better, smoother, and more efficient at teaching kids virtually than school districts that have always been in person. and tried to make a plan.
Some of these online schools are free, but there are others that don’t – check out this ThoughtCo list of free public schools under 12 by state. Or, if the one you like charges a fee, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act allows 529 money ($ 10,000 per beneficiary per year) to be used for K-12 training.
Is the existing online school the best solution right now? I have no idea; I am mulling this decision like everyone else. And there is one caveat to keep in mind: if you take your child out of their current school district, it can and will affect school funding per student in the future. If a couple of students move, the district is unlikely to notice; but if the students leave en masse, it could be financially detrimental to her.
On the other hand, if the county hasn’t come up with a plan that works for you, your child and family’s safety will exceed their budget.