Родители в Джорджии возмущены внезапным закрытием виртуальной школы из-за отсутствия финансирования

Georgia families ‘frustrated’ after virtual school’s sudden closure MILLEN, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - New state legislation requires virtual schools to score a 65 on college and career readiness tests to receive funding. Virtual Prep did not meet that threshold, and the state didn’t allocate funding for Jenkins County students enrolled there. Families said they were given a 48-hour ultimatum to find a new school and a new plan. Dyashema Ross, a Virtual Prep parent from Richmond Hill, said the school notified families by email this past Monday that it would not open, with a deadline that same night to submit enrollment information elsewhere. “Monday, this Monday that just passed, they sent an e-mail out saying like, hey, the school is not going to open... And the deadline is Monday night to like submit everything... And it’s just, it’s just been chaotic,” Ross said. Delays documented in emails Dottie Melnick, a Virtual Prep parent from Grovetown, said the school gave families weekly updates and repeatedly pushed back the school’s start date. “They were kind of giving us updates every week and they were telling us that they would know something by the following week and it just got pushed and then pushed and pushed,” Melnick said. Emails obtained show at least three delays: first Aug. 24, then Sept. 1, then Sept. 2. After that, the school closed for good. Students starting behind Melnick said the delays put her children behind in the new school year. “That’s more frustrating than anything because they’re already a month behind... we were able to find another school for my daughter, but she’s going in already... a month late. And my son went into high school and he was two weeks behind,” Melnick said. District cites state law Parents describe the situation as a lack of communication. Jenkins County points to state law. In a Sept. 2 statement, the Jenkins County School System (JCSS) said Virtual Prep Academy of Georgia (VPrep) was established through a partnership between JCSS and Accel Online East LLC, made possible by the passage of SB233 in 2024. Accel proposed the partnership, and JCSS agreed to serve as the host school system while Accel was contracted to provide educational services. JCSS said the 2026 Georgia legislative session passed HB328, which prohibits school systems with a CCRPI score below 65 from operating virtual schools that enroll out-of-district students. According to the statement, every brick-and-mortar school in Jenkins County meets that threshold, but VPrep’s elementary, middle and high schools do not. As a result, the state did not allocate FTE funding for VPrep in JCSS’s FY27 allotment. JCSS said it has been in direct communication with Accel since HB328 passed, consulting with state legislators and the Georgia Department of Education. The district said it told Accel that if no FTE funding was allocated, the school would not open, calling that the clear intent of the legislation. JCSS said the decision was not late or unexpected on its part but the direct result of state law and the funding determination that followed HB328. Superintendent Dr. John Paul Hearn signed the statement, which said JCSS recognizes some families feel they were led to believe VPrep would open for the 2026-2027 school year and understands the frustration and disruption this creates. JCSS says it is committed to supporting families as they make alternative arrangements. Virtual Prep says families should reach out to the Georgia Virtual Scholars Academy, an accredited private online school similar to Virtual Prep. Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.