New online options available for high school students

It’s not unusual for high school students to take chemistry or algebra, but this year students at Cottonwood High School and Granite Park Junior High School, as well as at other Granite District schools and several other districts around the state, have an array of credit courses available to them online--120 class options to be exact.

Students can attend a virtual classroom and receive the credits they need for graduation all while in the comfort of their own home for free as long they take the course within the district they attend school. For out-of-district classes, there is a one-time technology fee of $25.

Granite Connect is the program offered through the Granite District. The motto of the program is “My pace, anytime, anyplace.” For today’s modern teenagers with little free time, online classes are an option. Students can take up to two online courses a semester and free up some time in their daily school schedules.

“Granite has joined an unprecedented collaboration of seven districts to offer high-quality online courses to our students. Classes developed and taught through Granite Connect align to Utah’s Core Curriculum and are taught by highly qualified, Utah teachers,” said Patrick Colclough, online credit coordinator for the Granite District. “Students may opt to take two online courses, in addition to their eight classes, or choose the online option for one of their eight classes. The consortium is an effort to provide the best for our students, while limiting the siphoning of money from public education that the online voucher bill, SB 65 is designed to do.”

Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, sponsored bill SB65 behind the new law, Statewide Online Education Program. Currently, districts are required to pay $727 per student for a full year course that is taken outside of their own district.

Andrea Howton has a son that just entered ninth grade; they looked seriously into the online option.

“We looked into having [Christian] take an online course because we felt it would help him get ahead, take some challenging classes and learn to be a self-motivator,” Howton said. “He decided against it this semester but plans on taking U.S. history and driver’s ed. in the future.”

For a list of online course available or to register, visit graniteschools.org/graniteconnect.