Valley View School Board Nixes Online Charter School

Last month, the Valley View School District 365U school board sat through a lengthy presentation from K12 Inc. and Virtual Learning Solutions about a proposed virtual online charter school. 

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The school board spent little time on the matter at their meeting Wednesday. With no discussion, the board voted unanimously to dismiss the proposal. Elizabeth Campbell abstained from voting. 

Virtual Learning Solutions approached 18 school districts in DeKalb, Kane, DuPage, Kendall, McHenry and Will counties with their proposal. K12 officials said they needed all 18 districts to approve the measure for the virtual charter school to open. All 18 districts rejected the proposal. 

Legislation to place a one-year moratorium on new online charter school proposals cleared the Illinois State House Wednesday. 

"The measure, now in the state Senate, came in response to a proposal from the nonprofit Virtual Learning Solutions to open the Illinois Virtual Charter School at Fox River Valley," the Northwest Herald reported.

State Rep. Robert Pritchard said he and other supporters of the bill said they are not opposed to the concept of online charter schools.

"Pritchard said he believed the pause is needed to give time to 'clarify standards' for virtual charter schools and investigate how much Virtual Learning Solutions proposed to charge per student," the Herald reported. 

The online charter school plans to appeal the decisions made by all 18 school districts. 

“Yes, I expected this, and, yes, we will appeal, and we’re not going to give up," Virtual Learning Solutions President Sharnell Jackson told the Sun-Times. "Online learning is here to stay, and we’re going to keep pushing."

READ MORE: 

• Valley View Board to Vote on Virtual Charter School Proposal Wednesday
• Virtual Charter School Proposal Lacks Proof of Success: Valley View School Board Member