Enrollment in Oklahoma's statewide virtual charter schools has almost doubled compared to last year.
As of August 1, there are more than 33,000 students enrolled in online schools compared to about 19,000 on the same date last year.
The explosive growth is due to students flocking to virtual options because of the dangers of the coronavirus pandemic and stresses it's putting on the public school system.
Much of that growth is in Epic Virtual Charter Schools, which has more than 12,000 additional students. That doesn't include growth in Epic’s Blended Learning program, which is technically a separate school district not overseen by the virtual charter school board.
Many school districts across Oklahoma are offering an alternative online-only option because of the pandemic. However, students and their families continue to flock to virtual schools.
