Several Hundred Sign Up For Rochester Online School

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Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - Hundreds of students have signed up for the new online school offered by the Rochester School District.

The School Board will be updated on the program at its regular meeting on Tuesday. The presentation shows 329 students have signed up for the all distance learning option. 120 of the students are in the elementary grades, 84 are middle schoolers and 125 are high school students. The largest single class is 12th-graders with 39 students enrolled. The total does not include about 150 supplemental high school students.

The report to the school board indicates the K-6 classroom teacher positions have been filled and hiring for the Middle and High school program continues. A counselor, social worker, and instructional coach have been hired, while an office manager, special education teachers, and an EL teacher position are still open.

The classrooms and office space for the online school will be located at the brand-new Overland Elementary School, where there will be an opportunity for the students to meet their teachers in person and pick up the electronic devices they will be using in the coming school year.

The State Department of Education only recently granted permission to school districts statewide to offer the online education option. Around 20,000 postcards were sent out to households in the Rochester School District to inform the families about the new program.

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