The rise of technology based education has made online schooling an easier option for some students. Students can get a full education online through the school district or choose to take only some of their classes online.

There are several reasons why students might prefer virtual school over traditional schooling.

“A lot of students are just looking for an alternative setting,” counselor Bryan Duncan said. “A lot of times that might be not being around as many people.”

Early graduate Taylor Royal went to the Lawrence Virtual School. She was looking for a non-public setting.

“I took online classes due to racism issues at Free State,” Royal said. “I needed a break from public school at the time.“

Even though online schooling has its perks there are also some downsides, one of the most common being managing time.

“Discipline is the critical aspect because you don’t have the same time frames.” Duncan said.

Royal liked online school, but felt the pressure of changing settings and time frames.

“Being at home all the time and the class workload was very different,” Royal said. “I personally thought online school would be a lot easier but it was harder for me.”

Sophomore Katy Diaz took some classes online her freshman year. Her reasons for making the switch stemmed from her anxiety in social situations.

“I had really bad social anxiety and school was just overwhelming,” Diaz said.

According to both Royal and Diaz each class was once or twice a week, similar to college classes. The students met in skype like sessions and used a module resembling a Google Classroom.

The students go to the Lawrence Virtual School building to take in person finals at the end of the year. Other than that, there is not a whole lot of human interaction between students.

“A downside to it for me was being away from my friends and not having a personal teacher to student connection,” Royal said.

With the growth of online classes, more class options have become available such as online gym classes. Students earn credit by logging their physical activity.

Physical education teacher Taylor Stuart is skeptical about how effective online gym classes are for students.

“As a P.E. teacher, I’m not a big fan,” Stuart said. “There a are a lot of classes that are great to take online, but physical education is not one of them because [students] are supposed to stay physically active, but anyone can say they did this or that and then log it and not actually do it.”

Duncan believes since devices are so widely used, online school can be a better alternative for some students.

“When we have so many people on devices already, it provides a very comfortable environment for students”

Diaz enjoyed the flexibility online school gave her, even if it lead to some procrastination.

“The best thing about it is you kind of get to plan your weeks,” Diaz said. “You have a lot more freedom.”