Online schools see spike in enrollment during pandemic

Many parents opt to move kids to virtual classrooms permanently

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Nationwide stay-at-home orders sent shockwaves across America's education system.

Many schools had to adapt quickly, tranforming in-person teaching to online learning within weeks. In rural communities, some districts resorted to hand delivering homework school to their students. Elsewhere parents opted to leave the traditional school system behind completely, and transfer their kids to online charter schools.

Local educators say they're seeing the shift too. Debi Ybarra, Executive Director of Harvest Preparatory Academy says online learning provides a lot of benefits to students and parents alike.

"Well it's to provide an alternative. Not every student wants to have the same education and I think that's the great thing that charter schools have added to America. There's options for our parents, we used to choose our pre-school, our colleges. But, there's nothing in between that wasn't expensive. So this provides an alternative." says Ybarra.

Ybarra says online schools also provide flexible scheduling. This allows students to work and take classes at the same time.