When Is It a Good Idea to Switch Schools Midyear?

There are many cases in which it is a good idea for your child to switch schools, whether it’s a safety concern, a health concern, or maybe your student’s educational needs aren’t being met. Parents may also be concerned about the changing guidelines or revised school year calendar due to area health risks. At different points in a student’s educational journey, many parents have had to ask this question for a variety of reasons. You may want to consider transferring to online school, even midyear, for any of the following reasons:
 

Your student isn’t making progress at school

If your child’s needs aren’t being met in school, either academically, socially, or emotionally, your first action can be to work with the school to make changes to your child’s programming. But some schools may not offer a wide range of classes, extracurriculars, or peer groups to help your child grow.

If that’s the case, your school may not be a good fit. By transferring schools midyear and trying a new learning environment, you’re offering your student a chance to develop and reach goals you or your child may have thought were not possible before.

Changing your child’s learning environment could go a long way toward providing the type of motivation and fresh start needed to get back to enjoying and looking forward to school. A change of setting, such as a virtual school, can bring a new perspective that fosters the independence and focus needed to move on to college or career success.

Your student needs a new, safe learning environment

Your child’s physical safety and mental well-being is critical, and can affect academic performance. If your child is being bullied or faces other threats in or on the way to school each day, your first sign that something is wrong could be seeing lower grades on your child’s report card, or something worse. You might also notice a significant change in your student’s attitude about school. There are many warning signs of bullying to help you determine if this situation is happening to your child. By transferring schools midyear to a K‒12 online school, you can give your child the peace of mind to concentrate on their education, instead of conflicts with peers. And you open up new opportunities for healthy friendships and emotional development in a safe, online school environment.

Your student needs a more flexible schedule to pursue a career

Exceptionally talented and driven children often need more flexibility to pursue life goals or career opportunities. Many aspiring athletes, musicians, and actors are talented K–12 students, and their potential to achieve success may be hampered by the restrictions of being at a desk in a classroom all day.

Students who have complex medical conditions or illnesses that require scheduling flexibility may also find a midyear school change beneficial. If your student has health concerns, they can attend medical appointments and either bring schoolwork along or complete it later at home if they attend a virtual school instead of a traditional brick-and-mortar one.

You want to participate more in your student’s education

Have you wanted to be more hands-on and involved with your child’s education? Would you like to have more transparency into what your child is learning, make sure the concepts are really sinking in, and know whether your student is making progress?

While traditional schools typically allow parents to volunteer on field trips, arrange class parties, or read to younger students, parents might want to participate more in the academic area of their child’s education. You can become an important member of their educational team by switching to a K‒12 online school and becoming your child’s Learning Coach. In addition to helping to keep your child on track, Learning Coaches can also encourage higher test scores and ensure that students successfully graduate and move on to higher educational pursuits.

Your family needs to relocate

If your family has to move midyear, then of course you’ll need to switch schools. Military families often find themselves needing to move on short notice, which impacts many students. That’s where online school can help. A virtual school can give students a safe, consistent school experience that can go wherever the relocation takes them.

If you’re interested in learning more about Connections Academy® and the amazing K–12 teachers in schools across the country, find a school near you.