Could Benicia's Newest School be Virtual?

At the May 7,  school board meeting, Andrew Erenfeld, National Account Manager for K12 addressed the board. K12 is a private company offering an online independent study in the form of a virtual school.

Targeted students are mainly home-schoolers but kids that are home-bound, advanced, teen moms or bullied children are also marketed to. Supplemental education like summer school is also an option.

K12's website claims to benefit students who “were bored by the pace of the traditional classroom, left behind by the pace of the classroom, or just getting lost in the shuffle.” The site goes on to say, “While traditional brick and mortar schools work for many children, they restrict many others for a variety of reasons.”

The t (BUSD) was approached to be the home of a K12 school, which would serve Solano county students and those from contiguous counties like Napa. Erenfeld's suggested name is the Bay Area Virtual Academy.

A virtual school would add students and increase the average daily attendance (ADA) for BUSD. The benefit is increased funding from the State of California that is based on the ADA. A virtual school could possibly raise revenue for the

At first, the idea sounded good to the financially challenged district, but members of the board voiced their concerns. Clerk Dana Dean asked if K12 could work for students wanting seventh period class or early-bird class to better prepare themselves for college. The answer was yes.

Director Dr. Karen Dubrulle explained, “It has the openness to create classes... but there is still a cost attached to it.”

That cost is charged per student per course and only for the courses that are used. If only ten students use the program, the district is only charged for those ten. The rate however, depends on what BUSD negotiates with K12.

“A good way to look at the virtual school program, would be as a business within your business of education,” said Erenfeld. “So while there would be students from outside the district and other counties coming into your virtual school program, in a 100 percent virtual environment, the revenue stream that is created from the virtual school program can then be used to help the students within in your brick and mortar schools.”

Online classes have been tried in Benicia. Last summer, Benicia High offered on-line coursework to test the program. Elk Grove's school district near Sacramento and Lodi's district began a virtual academy. In order not to create competition between virtual schools, K12 seeks a single host district per county. “When Elk Grove did this, students were coming out of the wood work,” said Erenfeld. “They didn't know where they were coming from. The program pays for itself.”

Superintendent Janice Adams explained why this proposal was being presented. “One of the things the board asked us to do... is to bring in a revenue stream. To be honest, I thought 'I do not want to compete and pull kids out of classes of BUSD to go a virtual school'. I was reassured to find out that the students we'd be marketing to, are the students that aren't here now.”

Adams went on to say that there is an increase of parents asking about how to home-school their children. The district no longer has a home-school program so those students have gone to other on-line schools outside the district. This would be a way to keep home-schoolers in the district.

Although the program would be designed by the district, Benicia teachers have concerns like the quality of the courses and teachers. K12 uses their own teachers.

School board president Andre Stewart asked “Why wouldn't we use our own teachers?” Dubrulle who is recommending the program for next school year, explained that there is not enough time to train our own teachers.

Sue Gibbs, a Benicia teacher asked the board why they would not just buy an on-line program and keep all the revenue.

Joan Wildasin from Benicia High School was concerned about the cannibalism of existing funds within the district, since a virtual school would have to be offered to current BUSD students. “There are a lot of teachers here who are thinking about losing their jobs... to even consider replacing ours with their teachers and technology, is perhaps not the best timing.”

Melissa Harley, a tenured teacher who's received a layoff pink slip, quoted Janice Adams in saying “What happens in education is the relationships.” Harley holds a masters degree in education technology and pointed out, that the district has resources and teachers ready to take on the task. “If you get a room-full of teachers and give them an opportunity, they will come up with great ideas of how to teach kids. Don't ask me to come up with money. I'm not a salesperson, that's not what I do. What I do is I teach kids.” President Stewart nodded as Harley spoke.

BMS teacher Jeff Jones suggested not trying to rush a program for the fall. Why don't we step back... and take a year to look at it?”

The proposal raised the question of the privatization of education. “There are more questions than answers,” stated Stewart. He also said  that the board should explore all options so solve the districts financial crisis.  

Adams assured the board and teachers, that this idea is in it's infancy and needs to be researched. She invited teachers to join her in visiting districts that have started a virtual school and said Benicia teachers would be involved in the development of a virtual school if the district decides to go forward.