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Iowa's Education Department Seeks Funding for Online Classes

The Iowa Department of Education is seeking state funding to expand on-line education for high school students. The Department is now operating what’s called “Iowa Learning Online” with federal funding that’s expiring.

State Education Director Jason Glass says the program is serving students who aren’t doing well in traditional classrooms.

“We have students that are bullied. We have students that are medically fragile. We have students that need to be home for any number of reasons, “ Glass says. “Those are the kind of students we want to make this an option for.”

Iowa Learning Online also serves another group. Glass says high school students can supplement their traditional education with specialized online courses.

“It’s really a way to both serve students that struggle in the traditional setting, but also students that are in the traditional setting to expand their offerings,” Glass says.

Glass will be asking lawmakers for three years of state funding to get the program self-supporting. That amounts to about $1.5 million.