The Uniontown Area School District is considering a partnership with Virtual Learning Network Partners to create online education options for its students.
Alex Stone, president and CEO of VLN Partners, told directors Monday that his company is not a cyber charter school but produces "a holistic model for blended learning. We partner with school districts. We put your lessons online. We cater to your students."
Directors took no action, but members of the education and technology committees will meet with Stone to discuss details of the program and costs. Superintendent Charles Machesky said that the district may spend up to $750,000 in cyber charter school tuition in the next school year.
Stone said the district could realize a substantial savings over cyber school tuition if parents and their children currently in cyber school switch to VLN Partners. Students graduating from the VLN Partners program would receive a Uniontown Area High School diploma.
If directors agree to the program, VLN Partners will charge $25,000 for the first year for 30 courses, $2,500 for each additional course. It doesn't matter how many students are involved in the program. Subsequent years will cost $10,000.
Auxiliary learning, for students who may be suspended or out of the classroom for a time, will cost the district $150 per seat the first year and $125 per seat in subsequent years. Stone said students may come and go in the auxiliary learning program, and as long as the total number does not increase, the district will not incur an additional seat charge.
He said currently, districts pay $3,500 for cyber charter school. VLN Partners offers a $1,250-per-student tuition savings. He said alternative education cyber charter school savings could range from $4,500 to $16,740 annually.
VLN Partners operates in eight districts statewide, including the Charleroi Area School District, where it has provided services since 2007.
Among the services are customized online lessons, tutoring and credit recovery, lessons for off-campus placements and cyber school and homebound instruction. Stone said the online lessons match the scope and sequence of classroom instruction and all student performance data will be tracked and given to administrators.
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