— Some students work hard just to catch up; others work hard just to get ahead.

Caston’s online summer-school program, offered through the Indiana Virtual Academy, now offers something for both.

Indiana Virtual Academy offers credit classes for high school students through its website, and because it employs certified Indiana teachers the kids get letter grades the same as if they took the classes on campus. Caston offered classes through the Indiana Virtual Academy starting last year for students who needed to make up credits, and the school board agreed at its meeting May 18 to expand the program to students trying to work ahead.

According to the organization’s web site, Indiana Virtual Academy charges $295 per semester credit, but the state reimburses the school system for its summer school costs. Caston Superintendent Dan Foster expects the cost to the school district to fall in the area of

$25 a student. Caston has capped the program at 60 students, which would work out to $1,500 total.

Foster said budget concerns provided one motivation to offer the program, and added Caston would still offer agriculture classes, band classes and driver education during the summer as always.

He said the school had made few changes to the summer school program over what it offered last year. School systems across Indiana, and other states, have slashed their summer programs because of budget shortfalls and the worsening economy.

Allynn Swensen, director of Indiana Virtual Academy in Versailles, said her organization started in 2002 and now had participating school systems in 85 of Indiana’s 92 counties.

She said Indiana Virtual Academy doesn’t just offer credit recovery.

They offer everything from basic classes to AP course work, and their students range from home-bound students to college-bound students.

Swensen said cash-strapped school systems looking to cut summer school costs especially appreciated the savings her organization provided.

“It gives them the option of somewhere else they can send their students where they don’t need to have their building open and deal with the utilities and staffing,” Swensen said. “It just gives them another option.”

Russ Phillips, a Caston school board member, said the school board found the money saving option enticing, but added the program offered Caston more than a money saver.

“The important thing,” he said, “Is that it benefits the students.”

Last year, the first year the school system offered the program, Caston had about eight students enrolled to make up credits.

Although the school now offers the program for students trying to get ahead, those making up missed credits get first priority. The students trying to catch up can enroll in the classes right now. Those who want to use Indiana Virtual Academy to work ahead can start enrolling after June 1.

“We appreciate the students who want to work ahead, but we’d rather catch up some of our others first,” Foster said.

Foster said most students working ahead toward graduation would benefit by freeing up a spot in their schedule for another class rather than graduating early.

He said that as a small school Caston frequently offered only one section of a class, which created scheduling problems for some students. With the expanded program, students can take a class over the summer and free up a spot in their schedule for next year.

The program has other benefits for students. Because they can do their homework anywhere with Internet access, they do not have to actually go to school.

It also has an advantage for parents, said Caston School Board President Bruce Cress.

“The parents don’t have to worry about transportation and getting their kids to school,” he said.

For now, Foster does not want to offer the classes during the regular school year. For one thing, the state picks up the costs only during the summer session, but the school system has other reasons as well.

“We don’t want a student taking a class through the academy because they don’t like a certain teacher,” he said. “We all have to do things we don’t necessarily like, and that’s part of life.”

While the school has no plans to offer the program during the regular academic year, administrators have made exceptions for special cases. The school had a physics teacher retire before the school year started but after students had already enrolled in the class. So, the school allowed those students to take the class via the virtual academy.

“If we can make it work, and the students are successful, I can see the potential for this to continue to grow,” Foster said. “We are a small school, and we do have some limitations, so we have to look outside the box a little bit.”