Online schools provide students of all ages with the opportunity to learn in the comfort of home or on the go. Virtual Preparatory Academy offers a college prep education that is customized to meet the individual needs and aspirations of each student. “A virtual school is just like a traditional public school, but people go to school online and never show up in a brick-and-mortar building,” said Ron Packard, CEO and founder of Pansophic Learning. “It’s an accredited public school. It’s tuition-free. They have teachers and a high-quality curriculum.” Virtual school gained attention during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it has been around for years. It can help a variety of students, including athletes, those who need more time to learn or those who want to work ahead more quickly. “For most students, the brick-and mortar-down the street works perfectly,” Packard said. “But for a lot of students, it doesn’t work.” Students can attend virtual school for just a couple of years or the entirety of their school career. Families can make the choice that is right for them. “I think it helps students who were struggling but also a lot of students who might have athletics, like tennis or golf where they need to be practicing in the daytime,” Packard said. The Virtual Preparatory Academy of Washington invests millions of dollars every year to continue to improve their curriculum, which is rigorously aligned to standards of the state of Washington. Students who attend school virtually are often still socially active and get involved in youth sports and community activities. Professors in North Carolina studied virtual school students to learn about social aspects of their lives. “In every metric they could measure, these children were equally social to the students who were in brick-and-mortar schools,” Packard said. To learn more about virtual school options, visit the Virtual Preparatory Academy of Washington website. Sponsored by the Virtual Preparatory Academy of Washington Segment Producer Joseph Suttner. Watch New Day Northwest 11 a.m. weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.