Lexington mother says virtual learning was a ‘lifeline’ for her son

State legislators are discussing bills that could shape virtual education policies

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) – A mother is sharing her story about the impact virtual learning has on her child.

Meanwhile there is discussion at the Capitol that could have an impact on the future of virtual learning for students.

Lexington mom Laura Ramsay says her son was attending school in person, but that changed after tragedy struck her family last year.

“We lost his father about a year ago, and he struggled with the decline it was a long illness,” Ramsay said.

She says her son began facing challenges when attending school in person.

“So it caused a lot of depression and anxiety we had just issues just staying in school,” she said.

Online learning, however, gave her son a way to process the tragedy without missing out on academics.

“It gave him time to decompress and to heal,” Ramsay said.

Now, discussions in the state House are considering legislation that some say would strengthen virtual learning.

Senate Bill 268 initially aimed to prohibit a cap on enrollment and funding for virtual schools. Earlier this month, that language was included in a Senate version of House Bill 241, which focuses on non-traditional instruction (NTI) days.

However, the House refused to agree on that version of the bill, leaving the future of this type of legislation in question. Meanwhile, Ramsay says online learning has been essential for her son.

“It was a lifeline for us, it truly was, I don’t know where we would have wound up, how much it would have stunted his progression and growth in school. There just wasn’t another option at this time for us, so not to have it would seriously set back children I believe,” she said.

The future of legislation focused on removing limitations for online academies remains uncertain as House Bill 241 is not yet final.