Committee backs compromise giving struggling virtual schools three years to improve before closure action

Committee members debated an amendment that changed the bill from immediate closure to a time‑limited corrective pathway. The revised language requires that a virtual school on the state priority list or with a TVOS/TVA rating of Level 1 must show improvement — reaching Level 2 at least once — within a defined three‑year window; failure to do so could prompt the commissioner to remove that virtual school’s option status for districts. The sponsor and amendment proponent said the change balances fairness with accountability.

The discussion turned to equity and comparability: members noted many brick‑and‑mortar public schools have multiple consecutive years of Level 1 ratings without an immediate closure trigger and questioned why virtual schools would face a different statutory pathway. Supporters pointed to the rapid growth in for‑profit virtual providers and argued the amendment's three‑year horizon gives operators time to correct demonstrated shortcomings. The committee voted to send the amended bill forward (13 ayes, 5 nays). "We're giving them the ability to take corrective action," the presenting member said when explaining the three‑year compromise.