Section 20-2-319.1. Georgia Virtual School

   (a) The State Board of Education is authorized to establish the Georgia Virtual School whereby students may enroll in state funded courses via the Internet or in any other manner not involving on-site interaction with a teacher. Any Georgia student who is age 21 or younger shall be eligible to enroll in the Georgia Virtual School, at no cost to the student. The State Board of Education is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations pertaining to the Georgia Virtual School. Such rules and regulations, if established, shall include, at a minimum, a process for students to enroll in Georgia Virtual School courses and a process whereby a student's grade in the course is reported on the student's transcript. All teachers who provide instruction through the Georgia Virtual School shall be certified by the Professional Standards Commission. A local school system shall not prohibit any student from taking a course through the Georgia Virtual School, regardless of whether the school in which the student is enrolled offers the same course.

(b) (1) The department is authorized to establish a Georgia Virtual School grant account with funds appropriated by the General Assembly. The department shall use funds from this grant account to pay for costs associated with the Georgia Virtual School incurred by the department, including, but not limited to, actual costs associated with the maintenance of the Georgia Virtual School, such as new course development, credit recovery, blended learning training, and operating a clearinghouse.

   (2) The local school system shall pay to the department costs for tuition, materials, and fees directly related to the approved course taken by a student in its school system through the Georgia Virtual School; provided, however, that in no event shall the amount of tuition charged to the local school system exceed $250.00 per student per semester course.

(c) The Georgia Virtual School shall not be considered a school for purposes of Article 2 of Chapter 14 of this title.

Code 1981, § 20-2-319.1, enacted by Ga. L. 2005, p. 795, § 2/SB 33; Ga. L. 2012, p. 893, § 4/SB 289.