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For some Indiana students, virtual school options provide greater flexibility, autonomy

By Kirsten Adair

Posted September 4, 2024

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A student sits in front of a laptop at their home.

Virtual schools have skyrocketed in popularity across Indiana in recent years. Kristi Lukkarila said her daughter has excelled in online classes. (Pixabay)

Virtual schools in Indiana are seeing a boom in enrollment this year. Parents and administrators say online classes give some students more flexibility and opportunities for one-on-one learning.

Raelynn Devries is a first grader at Indiana Gateway Digital Academy, a virtual school that partners with Clarksville Community School Corporation. This is her second year at INGDA.

After she eats breakfast and brushes her teeth, Devries sits at her desk, logs on to her computer and checks emails from her teachers before jumping into her lessons. Devries follows her schedule until she finishes her work or it’s time to log out for the day.

INGDA sends Devries everything she needs for class, including magnets, goggles and test tubes for science. Kristi Lukkarila, Devries's mother, helps her daughter with the lessons.

“It's really nice to be, you know, hands on with it and to be one on one with her because she gets more of an understanding,” Lukkarila said.

Virtual school officials say parents play a large and vital role in their child’s online education. Most virtual students work at their own pace outside of specific video instruction times. Younger students in particular might need a parent to help with hands-on activities like science projects.

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Adam Hawf is superintendent of schools at Stride, an education company that oversees five virtual public schools in Indiana including Indiana Gateway Digital Academy.

“In online school, you, generally speaking, have more independence and more autonomy. And that is either a good or bad thing, you know, depending on the student,” he said.

Hawf said students who switch to virtual school because they think it’s easier may be disappointed. He said Stride schools pride themselves on providing rigorous classes and coursework.

However, he added that virtual school can be a great option for students who want to work at their own pace or receive a more personalized education.

Lukkarila said virtual school has vastly improved her daughter's ability to read.

“Working at home one-on-one has been the best for her,” Lukkarila said. “She has been excelling in areas I didn't even think that she would excel in.”

Kirsten is our education reporter. Contact her at kadair@wfyi.org or follow her on Twitter at @kirsten_adair.