Legislature Approves Virtual School Bill

Dear Virtual School Supporters,

Well, we did it. With the help of new and strong leadership in the Oregon State Capitol, House Bill 2301 passed both the House and Senate and will soon be signed by the Governor. What an amazing time.

For the last four years, our virtual public schools have fought hard against an old-guard education establishment intent on shutting us down and wiping out virtual school as a public option. They mocked us as "laptop operations" and spread misinformation about our teachers and students in a desperate attempt to protect their failed status quo. With your help and strong voices, they have failed.

HB2301 will raise the current enrollment caps and eliminate arbitrary geographic restrictions that have put roadblocks in the way of Oregon kids who need a high-quality alternative to traditional schools. We know that virtual public school isn't for everybody, but to deny a child access who really needs it is plain wrong. Our lawmakers finally reached that conclusion thanks to your willingness to tell your story with passion and clarity. Now, 3 percent of school-age kids in any Oregon school district can transfer to a full-time virtual public school without the threat of caps, geographic restrictions, or district denials.

We are expecting that the Governor will have a bill signing ceremony in late July and we've asked his office to allow our parents to participate in that historic event. If you have an interest, please send me an email and we will try to get as many of you in as they'll allow.

We've made great progress, but now we need to fight to protect our gains. As we move forward into a new day for Oregon virtual public schools, I urge you to stay involved and help recruit new families to our effort.

Thanks, again, for all you've done and will do in the future!

Sincerely, 

Cindy McGraw
President
Oregon Virtual Public Schools Alliance