ST. TAMMANY PARISH, La. — The St. Tammany Parish Public Schools system announced Wednesday the launch of a full-time virtual school ahead of the upcoming Fall semester.
Registration is now open to students in grades K-12 who live in St. Tammany Parish for the full-time school option that the school system says provides “flexibility to learn anytime, anywhere.”
The virtual school will begin at the start of the 2020-2021 school year, which begins a delayed, staggered start on Aug. 11.
Students will be required to have a computer or tablet with reliable internet access. The STPPS says learning happens through an online platform where students are expected to follow attendance requirements, including working for a minimum number of hours each day. Support will be provided online and in-person by St. Tammany Parish teachers, counselors, and administrators.
The virtual school announcement just hours after the school released the results of its 2020-21 school year planning survey.
More than 6,500 parents or caregivers responded to the survey saying they planned on enrolling their child in the STPPS Virtual School for the start of the school year. Another 5,700 parents said they would enroll their child in the virtual school if students were required to wear a mask during the school day.
Assistant Superintendent Amiee Lemane said the plan for a virtual school was already in the works before the coronavirus pandemic, but those plans were expedited.
“Before the COVID-19 pandemic, plans were being made to open a full-time virtual school to help meet the changing needs of our families and community,” Lemane said. “The coronavirus re-confirmed the need for a virtual school option, and we were able to expedite our plans to launch in time for the 2020-21 school year.”
Interim Superintendent Pete Jabbia said he knows parents are awaiting more information about the upcoming school year as the first official day of classes draws closer.
“We are working to get that information out quickly, but we wanted to let parents and caregivers know about the STPPS Virtual School as they make the best decisions for their children,” Jabbia said.
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