Public school students in Colorado are turning to tuition-free online and charter school education more than before.
The Gazette in Colorado Springs reports that fall enrollment figures from the Colorado Department of Education show enrollment in the Guided Online Academic Learning Academy gained the most students in the Pikes Peak region with 811 more students enrolling in the 2015-2016 school year than the year before.
The statewide alternative school headquartered in Pueblo and authorized by the Falcon School District 49 has a total of more than 4,000 students and has seen gains every year since opening in 2008.
According to the data released Thursday, online enrollment has increased 201 percent over the past 10 years statewide. Now, 2.1 percent or 18,664 public school students are registered in online programs.