In Bulloch County, high school students with documented medical or employment hardships now have a new learning option to help keep them on track to graduate.
Learners Involved in Flexible Education (LIFE) is a non-traditional high school choice for students in grades 9 to 12, who have medical or employment hardships which make regular attendance, in a traditional school setting, an obstacle to their success. For the 2023-2024 school year, the school district will no longer offer its virtual learning program that it provided during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, it is clear that virtual and hybrid learning models can benefit students with hardship situations.
The LIFE program offers both in-person and virtual learning options using Edgenuity, an online, standards-based curriculum tool already in use in the school district. This allows flexible class hours to complete coursework, which is ideal for students who need a non-traditional school day and setting. Housed in the William James Educational Complex’s learning center wing at the back of the school district’s Central Office, the program can currently accommodate 120 students, 40 in-person and 80 virtually. Its services are comparable to what is offered at the Coastal Plains Charter High School, which also operates at the Complex, but it offers more in-person hours for students.
Students are supported by a team of seven certified teachers. They provide instruction and monitor students’ progress weekly to help keep them engaged and on track to complete their required course credits to successfully graduate from high school. To remain in the program, a student must stay engaged and make adequate progress.
Students have access to Edgenuity 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Teachers are available at the William James Educational Complex for in-person instruction and office hours 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 12 noon on Fridays. The program will follow the Bulloch County Schools Calendar.
Interested families or students can register for the LIFE program online on the program’s website www.bullochschools.org/life. If you do not have access to a digital device or Internet, you may also make an appointment at your high school to use a computer kiosk. For more information, speak with your guidance counselor or the program’s administrator, Pam Goodman at 912.212.8557.
Once a student is accepted into the program, he or she and the parent or guardian will attend a required orientation session with the program administrator. During this session the administrator will work with the family to develop a learning schedule that best meets the student’s academic and attendance needs.
