Ruling threatens virtual schools.

IN A RULING THAT COULD jeopardize the future of virtual schools throughout the state of Wisconsin, an appellate court recently determined that an online school in the Northern Ozaukee School District violates state laws and should be denied millions of dollars in open enrollment funds.

The ruling said that the school, the Wisconsin Virtual Academy, "operates out of students' homes with parents as the primary educators," and violates statutes regarding teacher certification and open enrollment.

The district has appealed the ruling to the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Some educators fear the decision could produce a ripple effect for similar online schools in the state.

"All these realities are crashing into each other," says Mickey Revenaugh, VP for state relations at Connections Academy, a national virtual school. "People are asking, 'What makes sense in a 21st century environment?'"