ELKINS – The Randolph County Board of Education will vote on whether or not to make Proximity Learning available to all students in the school district at its next regular meeting.

Proximity Learning is a virtual education model that pairs live, certified remote teachers with students in grades K-12. Proximity Learning’s Jason Butcher and Ken Lester gave an informational presentation to the Randolph BOE at Tuesday’s regular meeting.

Interim Superintendent Terry George introduced the two representatives from Proximity Learning to the Board of Education and recommended that a vote item be put on the next meeting’s agenda.

“They (Butcher and Lester) are here tonight to discuss the process of using Proximity to regain some of our home-schooled and Hope Scholarship students,” George said. “I would like to put this on the agenda as a vote item for our next meeting. This (Proximity) provides flexibility and options for current home-school students, Hope Scholarship students and virtual students. With this we are offering them the opportunity to remain part of Randolph County Schools, but still have that flexibility of options they want to take at home. It also allows them to take additional courses that we may not offer in brick and mortar.”

Butcher told the BOE that the model was created back in 2020 as a way to provide virtual learning to students during COVID.

“Six years after our start, we now have 19 counties (West Virginia) that are now using this (Proximity) and we probably have five or six more who are joining up this year,” Butcher said. “We offer virtual school, alternative school, credit recovery and virtual staffing. Virtual school, alternative school and credit recovery are all virtual programs, virtual staffing actually pipes a live teacher into your brick and mortar classroom if you do not have a live certified content area teacher.”

Butcher told the Board that all of Proximity’s teachers are certified in the subject area that they teach and in West Virginia.”

“Our live certified teachers are what sets us apart from other virtual offerings,” Butcher said. “There are a lot of virtual offerings out there, but there are not many that offer a live, certified teacher to provide the instruction … And our teachers have done a really good job communicating with parents. If you are a teacher imagine having one parent with everyone of your kids sitting in a classroom with you. It’s a great program and I would like to tell you it’s the best in the United States of America, but I will tell you it’s in the top three.”

Butcher said that Proximity Learning is a wonderful option for the home-school population as well as those in virtual charter schools who are looking for a program with more teacher-led instruction. Students attending Proximity will attend classes five days per week.

“It’s a great opportunity for you to bring kids back into your system, which is probably the No. 1 thing you all need to be looking for,” Butcher said. “With the kids in Proximity Learning, you get your money from the state.”

Butcher added that one of the most attractive features with Proximity Learning is the program’s flexibility.

“Flexibility is key,” Butcher said. “You can’t ask people to come into a program and expect them to whip into shape and do what you want them to do. There is a reason they left, so the whole thing that you need to make sure you do is provide flexibility so that these people come back.”

The next regular Randolph County Board of Education meeting will be held on June 2 at 5:30 p.m.