As they develop plans for a new virtual program to be rolled out next academic year, Zachary school leaders are working with parents and students to figure out how the initiative can be leveraged to meet unique educational and scheduling needs.

“We’re literally building this as we go, and we want you to be a part of that,” Superintendent Ben Necaise told families attending an April 30 informational meeting about the program, which will initially be offered only to Zachary High School students.

Fewer than a dozen people were in the audience at the meeting. Necaise said many more had expressed interest in the program and would be contacted soon by his office.

Necaise along with Todd McDonald, who oversees Port Hudson Academy, and Jeff Hand, supervisor of secondary programs, touted the program as a way to tailor education to individual needs. Port Hudson Academy, Zachary’s alternative school, is already using an online platform similar to the one that will be offered in the new program.

Students will be able to work at their own pace with the online curriculum, and they won’t be bound to a traditional school day schedule. They’ll get to choose from career- and college-track courses, play sports, join clubs and receive a Zachary High School diploma just like their in-person classmates.

But the officials emphasized that students enrolling in the virtual option must meet some special qualifications. They must commit to the program for a full semester at a time. And they need to be motivated to complete assignments, have good time management skills and do well working independently.

“We want to make sure they have good attendance. We want to make sure they have a good academic record. We want to make sure they have a good discipline history,” McDonald said. “We don’t want this to be an escape clause for somebody who just didn’t do anything. This is a very specialized program.”

Parents will get weekly progress reports by email, and students will be able to contact school staff for help as needed. Necaise said his team is exploring building a 24-hour online tutoring service into the program too.

In the coming days, school leaders will be meeting with families who have said they want to participate in the virtual program to ensure those students are a good fit.

Going to school virtually opens the door to a significant amount of flexibility, Hand said. Students who excel in some subjects can complete those assignments quickly and spend extra time on topics they struggle with.

Because the online lessons can be accessed anytime and anywhere, students can stay up on their schoolwork and not suffer attendance penalties if they are traveling for, say, out-of-town athletic events. The virtual program also could benefit students dealing with medical situations and those wanting to work daytime internships, Hand said.

Students can complete courses as quickly as they like, meaning they can enroll in more classes sooner, including dual enrollment offerings through local colleges.

“It can be very accelerated,” McDonald said.