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JACKSON, Mich. — The Jackson Learning Lab online high school hopes to triple enrollment to 100 students by fall, now that it has state permission to expand, according to The Jackson Citizen Patriot.
The Michigan Department of Education recently designated the school an “innovative program” and wants to track student achievement there, according to The Citizen Patriot. The Lab currently enrolls 30 seventh- through twelfth-graders. Students can work offsite or at the school in downtown Jackson.
In an unusual arrangement, the school is under the oversight of Suttons Bay Public Schools near Traverse City, according to The Citizen Patriot. The Lab receives $7,000 per student in state aid, as does Suttons Bay, the report said.
School founder Roxana Hopkins told The Citizen Patriot that the program fits in with Gov. Rick Snyder’s educational reform plan, which encourages online education. Hopkins is a retired Jackson Public Schools administrator who started the school as an alternative for students who struggle in traditional school settings, the Citizen Patriot reported.
SOURCE:
The Jackson Citizen Patriot, “Online
high school named 'innovative program' by state, plans to expand to 100
students as Gov. Rick Snyder promotes virtual learning,” May 10, 2011
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education
Report, “Jackson
Learning Lab: The hope of success for all learners,” August 4, 2009
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, “A Virtual Learning Revolution,” March 7, 2011
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