DAYTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS TREASURER GETS RAISE

Preventing dropouts, bringing back students at top of district’s list.

Dayton Public Schools will launch an online school this fall with two main goals — preventing dropouts by offering a nontraditional model, and bringing back students who have left for other online schools, hurting district revenue.

The Dayton Innovation Virtual Academy will be open to grades 9-12, but will be limited at first to 50 students, with hopes to expand. Students will receive a computer and wireless internet access, and can do the work from home. Like regular public school, it will be free.

“We’ve talked to many of our children who have left us for online academies and they said that had we offered something like that, they would have stayed with us,” Superintendent Rhonda Corr said. “Students drop out for various reasons. Maybe they have to work to support their family, maybe there’s an illness or something else going on. Now they have an opportunity to continue their education so they will graduate.”

Corr said the school will use the Apex Learning online curriculum that DPS currently uses for credit recovery when students need to catch up. DPS will contract with the Cuyahoga County Educational Service Center, where Corr had previous contacts, for the teachers and “learning advocates” who will work with students.

The Montgomery County ESC also offers Apex online curriculum, as well as a Graduation Alliance online program that eight local districts are using. MCESC assistant superintendent Shannon Cox said DPS has been involved with those discussions for more than a year. Corr said she hopes DPS can eventually work with the local ESC as well.

DPS will hold four parent meetings to explain the program, the first two of which are 10 a.m. today at the Northwest Library, 2410 Philadelphia Drive, and 4 p.m. Tuesday at DPS headquarters, 115 S. Ludlow St. Families