Panel advances bill to limit out‑of‑district enrollment by locally run virtual schools

An unnamed sponsor told the House Education Subcommittee that House Bill 12 59 is intended to preserve the integrity of school choice by placing guardrails around local school system virtual programs that enroll large numbers of out‑of‑district students while showing low academic performance and limited oversight.

The sponsor reviewed prior audit findings and prior legislation (House Bill 100, 2016) and said those findings showed some local virtual schools were accepting students from other systems without statutorily required agreements. He said Jenkins County Virtual Preparatory Academy has a statewide attendance zone, enrolls roughly 1,500 students statewide while retaining only two students from Jenkins County, and “gives this management company 95% of the QBE earnings” from the virtual school. He cited the school’s CCRPI of 24.3 against a statewide average he said is 67.6 as evidence of low performance.

Under the substitute language the committee reviewed, a local virtual school would be prevented from accepting out‑of‑district students if it has failed to maintain an average CCRPI of 70 over the previous two school years. The sponsor also said the bill would ensure out‑of‑district students in those cases would not be counted for equalization FTE calculations used in certain funding formulas.

Committee members questioned whether the proposal would affect completion schools, state‑authorized charter schools, or local boards’ ability to operate virtual programs; the sponsor said it would not affect state‑authorized charters and that local school systems could continue to operate virtual schools for in‑district students. A motion to give HB 12 59 a “do pass” designation was seconded and approved by voice vote; the bill will go to the full committee.