State reopens enrollment for virtual school's fall classes

Twenty Cape Girardeau County students have enrolled in online classes that will be offered by the state's new virtual school starting this fall.

They are among some 1,700 students who enrolled this month in elementary and high school courses that will be offered through the Missouri Virtual Instruction Program, or MoVIP.

But more students locally and throughout the state still can enroll in online classes. The initial enrollment period ended Tuesday, but state education officials have decided to reopen the enrollment period beginning today and extending through at least June 13.

"I think we could handle another thousand to 1,500," said Dr. Curt Fuchs, MoVIP director.

Fuchs said he isn't disappointed by the initial enrollment numbers. "I am tickled to death because I am not turning anybody away," he said.

He had been concerned more students would apply than could be accommodated this first school year. Had that occurred, the state would have had to use a lottery to select students for the courses, he said.

Students can take the online courses free of charge. The state is providing more than $5 million to pay for the first year of the online school.

Public, private, homeschooled students can enroll in the courses. The state will pay the cost for a student to take a maximum of six classes per semester.

As of Tuesday, 87 students in a 10-county area of Southeast Missouri had signed up for virtual school classes.

Cape Girardeau County has more students enrolled in online courses than any of the other Southeast Missouri counties, state figures show. The 20 students are enrolled in a total of 117 courses.

Butler County has 16 students enrolled in 110 online classes, Scott County has 10 students in 74 courses, Bollinger County has nine students in 50 classes, while Wayne County has eight students signed up in 50 courses.

In Pemiscot County, six students are enrolled in 19 courses. Dunklin, Mississippi and New Madrid counties each have five students enrolled in online classes. The students from Dunklin County are enrolled in a combined 26 courses; the course total is the same in Mississippi County. Students in New Madrid County are enrolled in a total of 22 courses.

No students from Perry County enrolled in virtual school classes by the initial deadline Tuesday, MoVIP records show.

Among high school students, the most popular online classes, based on enrollment, are personal finance, algebra I, Spanish and biology, Fuchs said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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