La. online charter school gets 1,900 applicants for 600 spots

One of Louisiana’s two online charter schools says it has 1,900 applications for 600 spots. Louisiana Connections Academy Principal Caroline Wood told The (Monroe) News-Star the school will ask the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to let the school double its enrollment. “What parents want is for their children to be seen as individuals,” she says. “They do not want them to be lost in the shuffle of a classroom of other students. That can’t happen in the virtual world.” The school—part of a chain headquartered in Baltimore—was chartered for 500 students but was allowed to take 600. The Louisiana Virtual Charter Academy has 1,400 applications with about 80% approved for enrollment. Its regional vice president, Karen Ghidotti, says the school can accept up to 1,320 students. It has no plans to ask for an increase in enrollment. Louisiana Connections Academy and the Louisiana Virtual Charter Academy can enroll students from anywhere in the state. Enrollment for the Connections Academy is spread across the state, with about 20% coming from northern Louisiana. “The virtual learning opportunity provides a new learning environment and new opportunities to learn at a different pace,” Ghidotti says. “Students are not structured by the bells of a traditional brick and mortar classroom. The virtual school provides students the opportunity to spend more time in one class if needed and structure their day to fit their needs.”