SOUTHINGTON — Even though the number of middle and high school students expelled declined from 30 to 13 during the 2009-10 school year, this situation still poses a significant cost to the district.
With that in mind, the Board of Education has decided to use a new Virtual Learning Academy, an online program which will save money and allow expelled students to keep up with their classmates.
Superintendent of Schools Joseph Erardi Jr. said the district must still educate that student and the use of a tutor who provides 10 hours of instruction a week costs $11,400 for the school year. The Virtual Learning Academy costs $1,250 per student per year and teaches five courses, he said.
The board tested the program on six expelled students who all had computers at home and all kept up with their classwork.
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