ROCK SPRINGS — Students and parents in Sweetwater County School District No. 1 will still have the option of learning from home if they choose for the 2021-2022 school year.

The option became mandatory for a short time in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic forced students to stay at home at the end of the spring semester. Students were then given the option to continue virtual learning when the school year resumed in the fall.

SCSD No. 1 K-12 Virtual School will provide families with a tuition free opportunity for students to continue learning in the same capacity they did throughout the 2020-2021 school year, Chief Academic Officer Jodie Garner told the Board of Trustees last night.

“Students will be able to participate in sports and activities as well as other opportunities the district offers its students,” Garner said.

This is a Wyoming-run, high-quality program that will provide a education experience. Required materials will be delivered to your home using innovative choice-based strategies.

SCSD No. 1 Chief Academic Officer Jodie Garner

Garner also said the program will allow for true personalized learning no matter what a student’s learning goals are with options from kindergarten to a high-school diploma.

She also said the district has already hired a number of qualified teachers who specialize in virtual learning. Each student will be required to have a learning coach per state guidelines. The coach can be a parent or guardian responsible for creating and managing the students’ school routine.

Coaches will also have access to the training in regard to technical skill sets and “prioritized communication opportunities with the instructor,” Garner said. Instructors will also provide learning coaches with a weekly checklist to help stay organized.

The Sweetwater #1 Virtual Education portal can be accessed from the district’s website, and parents can begin registering their students today.