RALEIGH, N.C.  – The North Carolina Court of Appeals says N.C. Learns cannot open a virtual charter school in the state, The News and Observer reports.

The nonprofit had applied for authorization to open an online charter school, and had received preliminary approval from Cabarrus County, but the state’s Board of Education did not act on the request.

The question of whether the school could open bounced back and forth in court until the Appeals Court unanimously ruled against it.

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N.C. Learns is the governing board for the proposed charter school, which had planned to contract with K12 Inc., a private company, to provide online education for students across the state.

North Carolina does not have online charter schools, but does provide some online classes through the state’s virtual school.

Online schools can be helpful for students who have been bullied at their traditional school, or students who, because they struggle or are especially talented in a particular subject, want to go at their own pace, said Jeff Kwitowski,  a spokesman for K12 Inc. Student athletes who need more flexibility also benefit, he said.

“Currently, North Carolina does not have that option,” he said. “But demand for the program is extremely strong. A lot of families have reached out that they want access to options such as this.”

Authored by Mary C. Tillotson – Watchdog.org