Virtual education, such as online AP courses, may help superintendents offset budget cuts without sacrificing curricular quality, some educators say. "You don't need any infrastructure to be making online courses available to your students in your state," said William Thomas, the Southern Regional Education Board's director of educational technology.

The cost-effectiveness of programs, experts say, depends on what curriculum is used, whether it is a full-time or part-time program, what state you are in, and how many students you need to serve, among other factors.

In the current economic environment, “most districts are not adding a bunch of new services, but thinking about how to preserve services,” said Bill Tucker, the chief operating officer of the Washington-based think tank Education Sector, which has conducted research on the costs of online learning.

One way to do that, he said, is to take advantage of the resources and opportunities already available rather than trying to start an e-learning program from scratch. For example, some states run their own virtual education programs out of their departments of education, which districts can tap in to for little or no cost, he said.
To compare cost categories, see below.
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Source: Education Week, 3.18.09

Cost Categories: Brick-and-Mortar School vs. Online School

Brick-and-Mortar School Only
• Buildings and grounds maintenance
• Security
• Transportation
• Energy
• Computer and internet access for every teacher
• Substitute-teacher costs (for sick days or professional development)
• Athletics
• Music program (e.g., band)
• Nursing services

Online School Only
• Space for offices and computer lab for students
• Course-management system
• Course content
• Computer and Internet access for every teacher and student
• Mobile-communication device for teachers (e.g., cellphone) and network