Parents upset over possible cancelation of virtual teaching program in Rock Hill

ROCK HILL, S.C. — Parents are outraged over the cancellation of a popular program at schools in Rock Hill.

The Virtual Academy has been letting kids learn at home since COVID-19, but school leaders have said they plan to cancel the program next year.

Channel 9′s Tina Terry spoke with parents who took their concerns to the district.

“We felt blindsided by the decision about the virtual academy,” said parent Danni Brown. “We feel like this is an equity issue.”

At a meeting Tuesday night, Brown told school leaders that the program had been a safe haven for her son and other students with special needs.

“We’re here because, in some way or another, our students weren’t being served in a traditional classroom setting,” Brown explained.

Brown said her son, who has been diagnosed with autism, was bullied in the traditional classroom.

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She and other parents expressed that the Virtual Academy has helped their children soar by allowing them to learn at home while still getting instruction from real teachers.

“We can’t lose this program. We can’t lose this program,” one parent echoed.

In the meeting, several board members admitted they may have made a mistake by needing the program.

“I want to say that as a new board member, I got it wrong ... I got it wrong,” one member said.

On Wednesday, another newly elected board member, Jennifer Hutchinson, said there is time to reserve the decision, and she’s hoping that can happen.

“I think getting the parental input and the input of the students made a difference for us,” Hutchinson said. “We’ve been in talks about how we will revitalize the program and revamp it to support the students that are currently there. We’ll be having some small group sessions next week.”

The district has said the program was funded by COVID-19 dollars, which eventually ran out. If district leaders can’t come up with another funding source, the academy won’t exist for the 2025-2026 school year.

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