The LaPorte Online School will offer a fully supported homeschooling program to students in kindergarten through 12th grade starting the 2024-25 school year.
Since LaPorte schools is an open enrollment district, the online offering would be available to all students in Indiana.
The district will be partnering with Edmentum, an educational technology company, to offer the online school.
Most students enrolled in the virtual school would be eligible to participate in all extracurricular activities offered by LaPorte schools, according to district officials.
The online school is just one of the ways the district seeks to attract more students, as it grapples with declining enrollment.
In February, a study was presented to the school board which showed the number of students in the school corporation had dropped by 900 since 2009. The study also projected enrollment would further drop another 500 students in the next decade.
Interim Superintendent Peggy Hinckley told the board on Monday the district would also offer early entrance for pre-K and kindergarten, streamline the open enrollment process and look into a three-tier busing schedule in order to keep students in the school corporation.
LaPorte schools becomes the third public school district in Northwest Indiana to offer an online school, following Duneland School Corp. and Gary Community School Corp.
An informational meeting regarding enrollment to the virtual school will be held at 6 p.m. on May 9 at the district's educational services center, 1000 Harrison St.
More information about the online school is available on the LaPorte schools website.
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