Virtual schools alter landscape of Hoosier public education

A few years ago, tiny Union School Corp. in Modoc, Indiana was on the verge of closure. In 2016-17, the district, which is located southeast of Muncie near the Ohio state line, had just 256 students in grades K-12. But the school board began working with a private education corporation, K12, to start a virtual or online program — called Indiana Digital Learning School. Total enrollment jumped to 937 in 2017-18 and an eye-opening 3,371 students statewide in 2018-19, according to the state Department of Education. Indiana Digital Learning School is an online public school program of the Union School Corp. K12 Inc., a for-profit company that provides online education, is under contract to the school district to operate its virtual programs. Union School Corp. now consists of two brick and mortar schools and three virtual schools. INDLS is an arm of the public school district. It is not a virtual charter school, which must have an authorizer and be accountable to that authorizer under Indiana law. The state has less of a role with charter schools, whether online or brick and mortar, said Adam Baker, Indiana Department of Education spokesman. Some Indiana virtual charters have come under fire for inflated enrollment, over-payment of state tuition support dollars and failure to educate children.