HPEDSB gauging interest in future of Virtual School

The Hastings & Prince Edward District School Board is doing some homework this month on the future of virtual schooling.

The board opened a Virtual School in 2020, but enrollment numbers have declined significantly this year. However, the board says it remains an important choice for some families and it wants to gauge how much interest there is in keeping the learn-from-home model. 

It has launched a survey for parents who are still interested in virtual school. The data it generates will help the board make future decisions, which might include partnering with other boards to run virtual schools. 

The board is exploring the possibility of partnering with neighbouring public school boards to offer elementary and secondary virtual school options for next year. 

It says the regional approach would allow the schools to offer a wide range of courses, available to all students, no matter where they live. 

The survey is online and available here. 

The board says, if you’re not interested in virtual learning, there’s no need to complete it.