When Clark County School District officials came to Vegas PBS general manager Tom Axtell in 1996 with a cooperative proposal to institute a television-based program that would aid in the decrease of high school drop-out rates in Las Vegas, the Henderson executive immediately was on board. Now, that same principle has been brought into the 21st century with the birth of the Virtual High School Educational Technology Campus.
The program's building, which is slated to open in 2009, will be located at 3000 E. Flamingo Road and was officially dedicated on July 16. The site will serve as a base of operations for the distance-learning program.
"Basically, what we will have is a distance learning environment, but you will have someone behind the scenes making sure that everything runs smoothly," said Essington Wade, principal of the Virtual High School. "With the partnership with the broadcasters, we can create a more dynamic and engaging experience with informative content."
The building also will house Vegas PBS' studios and offices, the Vegas PBS Educational Media Center and United States Homeland Security operations.
"The virtual campus is an opportunity for kids who might not otherwise graduate to have the opportunity to make up course credits," Axtell said. "Some use it to get ahead. I've even heard of kids who weren't satisfied with grades retaking classes through the virtual program."
More than 6,000 students enrolled in the program during the 2006-07 school year valleywide. According to Axtell, enrollment has been on the rise since the program's inception, and the numbers are expected to continue increasing.
"We now offer a full curriculum, and we feel like it's coming full circle," Axtell said. "It started out with a television program only accessible during the summer -- an alternative to summer school, really. Now, we provide everything an average high school can provide."
Each course at the Virtual High School costs approximately $100, a price that includes all books and digital video discs of the lecture series and homework from each class, all of which can be retrieved at the time of enrollment.
"We have certified and qualified educators on our staff, and course work curriculum meets all federal guidelines," Axtell said. "The law requires student/teacher communication on a weekly basis, at a minimum. That can mean by Internet, e-mail or telephone. Nothing will slip past our educators. The communication in these instances has proven to be even better than in conventional school settings."
According to Wade, the high school's procedures and curriculum will be so advanced compared to anything that exists today, it may set a new standard in distance learning.
"The program has so much to offer," Wade said. "Especially because of the PBS partnership, our students will be able to interact and do as much with teachers as they would if it were a brick and mortar classroom."
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