The Manitowoc Public School District is offering a new way to attend school virtually.
Superintendent Lee Thennes says the school board approved a consortium with the Menasha Joint School District for elementary school students to be a part of the Fox Valley Virtual School.
While it seems like students are leaving, Thennes says they can still get their education through the program and stay with MPSD.
“It’s kind of exciting because we get to count them in our enrollment,” he explained. “It helps us eliminate the gap of students who are going out.”
MPSD has been working to reduce the gap in open enrollment numbers so that fewer kids are leaving and more are staying.
The district recently had a 13% shift in students staying, and this year, Thennes says they want to make it 20%.
Not only does it keep students in the district, but it also helps MPSD keep more of the money they receive for each student.
“$2,500 right now is more than (the) zero (we get) if they go to McFarland, or Two Rivers, or Appleton, or somewhere else,” Thennes noted. “It’s like we have this school. It’s now become one of ours.”
Thennes says there will be some informational sessions for online elementary students.
He also believes that students will return to physical schools as they get older and that schools have everything they need to succeed.
