A virtual high school option will be coming soon in Troy, as the Troy Board of Education on Monday approved to implement the state-mandated policy.

The self-stated purpose of the policy is “to allow students an opportunity to earn credits and scheduling flexibility through a virtual option for students in grades 9-12, while creating a pathway to graduation through a virtual education program.”

The policy doesn’t implement any specific guidelines, but states that the superintendent will create “guidelines for enrollment and participation for students choosing the Troy City Virtual High School (TCVHS) option…”

Those guidelines will be consistent with Alabama Legislative Act No. 2015-89, a state law passed in 2015 requiring local school systems to adopt a virtual high school policy.

Students participating in the virtual high school will be counted the same as students attending the physical high school.  When it comes to athletics, Superintendent Dr. Lee Hicks said that they would be under similar guidelines as homeschool students.

Although the board voted to approve the policy, no virtual high school exists at this time for the city schools. Board members did not provide a timeline for the project.

The board also approved a new credit card vendor for teacher supply cards and decided to use the state examiner for their annual audit instead of their usual auditor, who they said they have used for around 15 years.

CFO Mickey Daughtry reported $265,380 in sales tax for the month of July, up almost 5 percent over last year.