IBERVILLE- In response to COVID-19, Iberville Parish is taking a different approach to education. The school system started a virtual academy.

Many are afraid to send their children back to school amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

Addie Loupe is the principal of the new Iberville Virtual Learning Academy.

"It is extremely popular. So popular that we had to adjust some things in our district," Loupe said.

That adjustment was to create a new K-12 online campus for students and parents with special needs. Students who can't go online during regular school hours and need their parents to assist them.

"The virtual learning academy is more flexible for parents who may work during the day and need to help their students with instruction at night. That's where our academy meets those parents' needs," Loupe said.

Instruction will be taught live through google classroom but recorded so that students can access it at any time.

"They may have an illness, an underlying condition. Their parent, their grandparent, or the student themselves may have medical concerns," Loupe said.

Students in the virtual academy will eventually have to show up in-person for state and district testing, but a special classroom has been set up for them at the school board office.

Testing that is required on-site.

"That needs to be done face to face so they will come in. We will give them a schedule to come in so they're only scheduled to come in by themselves or with a very small group to be tested," Loupe said.

The virtual learning academy is the new normal as school kicks off in the middle of a pandemic.

Students can still enroll in the academy. For more information, click here.