LANSING – Cyber schools that were first authorized in law during “Race to the Top” reforms in late 2009 could expand across Michigan under a bill reported Wednesday.

SB 619 , which deletes the two-cyber school maximum under current law and opens enrollment to more kids, is part of an education reform package expanding charter schools and schools of choice opportunities.

Bryan Klochack, principal of the state’s two cyber schools, Michigan Connections Academy and Fusion Academy of Michigan, said they support expanding the option of online learning. Those schools are authorized by Ferris State University.

When the schools opened last year there were 400 spots available and 2,500 applicants, he said, which meant kids were picked to attend through a lottery.

The schools can take in up to 1,000 students who have dropped out of traditional public schools, but Klochack said it’s been hard to enroll those students because the former school district often doesn’t list them as a drop-out in the state database. That classification is required by law for the student to then enroll in the cyber school.

Lisa Hansknecht, legislative liaison for the Department of Education, said SB 619 should eliminate that problem because it deletes the dropout requirements and definition.

The Senate Education Committee, which is reviewing the legislation, voted on the charter cap measure last week (SB 618 ), but did not take up the schools of choice bill (SB 624 ) during Wednesday’s hearing. Like SB 618, the committee amended the cyber schools piece to remove the tie-bar to the schools of choice bill.

The panel also voted on SB 621 , which allows non-public school students to take some classes at a traditional public school or charter school located in the same intermediate school district or a contiguous district. Under current law, a non-public school student only has the option of taking a class at the traditional public school in the community in which they reside.

Sen. Hoon-Yung Hopgood (D-Taylor) abstained from both votes as the bills were reported 3-0. Sen. Coleman Young II (D-Detroit) was absent for voting.

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