By Shelby Stewart
Staff Writer
Each school day Brandon High School Sophomore Leanna Roman studies American Sign Language.
“I found it interesting,” said Roman. “And I have friends who are deaf and it helps me to communicate.”
Roman’s unique class is now one of many offered to students who are enrolled in classes at the BHS Virtual School. About six years ago, the school opened to offer higher level classes to students who wanted to take them. Today, 75-100 students a year take one or more classes online at Brandon for a variety of reasons says teacher Brian Moore.

“I would put it into three categories,” said Moore, who teaches economics and AP economics, as well as runs the virtual school. “There are the students taking the higher level classes we don’t offer, students with specific issues like anxiety or some other impairment, and then kids that can’t fit the classes in their schedules.”
Moore emphasized that students in the computer lab are taking anything from German classes to AP classes at the same time during his fourth hour. “They can work in our lab or work at home,” Moore said. “But a lot of them enjoy coming to school and being around other kids, taking all their own classes, but they interact and share what they’re doing in their classes.”
On Wednesday morning BHS Senior Benjamin Davis was in Advanced Placement (AP) Physics and AP Economics online.
“I’m taking AP physics because I’ve always been interested in the physical sciences,” said Davis. “And I’m taking AP econ online because it’s offered sixth hour, but I’m in band, so I take it online.”
At a nearby computer screen junior Erin Syerson, was in astrophysics class.
“I’ve always been fascinated with stars and outer space and stuff,” said Syerson. “And it’s going to be my career.”
Moore said most students take only one or two classes online, and the rest in person at the high school. There are also students at the middle school that take online classes too.
“What we’re finding out that they aren’t just for kids who want to take classes not offered,” said Moore. “They’re taking classes that they’ll eventually have to take, like some students who want to take choir and band, but can’t because they can’t allow it in their schedule, so they’re taking classes in the summer to free up that elective hour. You never know, and what we’re learning is every kid has his or her own story to tell.”
The most popular classes are American Sign Language and German, as well as specific science electives like bioethics and pre-veterinary science.
“Any kid who wants to explore is getting the opportunity to,” said Moore. “It doesn’t always work for every kid, but live classes don’t work for every kid either.”