Thousands of students who can't attend traditional brick-and-mortar schools attend Florida Virtual School.
FLVS is a free, fully accredited online school for Florida students. One student said his educational experience was transformed thanks to the courses offered through FLVS.
Branden Ojeda is an energetic 9-year-old boy, but diabetes complications made going to a traditional school problematic. His mother decided to homeschool and supplement his education with Florida Virtual School. Even though it's virtual, Branden gets one-on-one attention from his FLVS teachers and interacts with his classmates online.
"I like it because I'm a tech guy. It's fun, it's interactive," Branden said.
"FLVS, their flex program, allows me to meet the educational needs of my son and also his medical needs," his mother, Sherrie, said.
FLVS offers kindergarten through 12th grade studies and even make-up coursework for students who attend traditional school.
"We are very proud of the relationships our teachers build with our students. So we feel like they get a lot of one-on-one attention and learning can be at their own pace. It allows them to keep up their academic progress no matter what's going on in their personal lives," Dr. Jodi Marshall, executive vice president of business and school solutions for FLVS, said.
FLVS is celebrating its largest graduating class ever this year with 700. Next year, the school will celebrate its 20th anniversary.