NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Back-to-school looks different for some Tennessee students this year, including those opting for virtual classes as popularity in online schooling grows across the state.

According to a 2023 report from the Urban Institute, Tennessee public schools lost more than 14,000 students from the Fall 2019 semester to the Fall 2021 semester. During that same time, private school enrollment in the state increased by more than 14%, the data says, while other children moved to homeschooling and virtual options, including Tennessee Connections Academy.

Sawyer Stubbs is one of 3,000 students enrolled in Tennessee Connections Academy, an online, fully-accredited public school which launched in 2019. Since then, enrollment has grown; the school now has students from all 95 counties in the state.

Stubbs never intended on permanently switching to virtual classes, but when COVID-19 hit and his school moved online, his mother, Whitney McIntyre noticed his performance in school improved.

“I discovered he actually did a lot better being at home when I thought him having an IEP and special needs he’d do worse. I was wrong,” McIntyre said.

McIntyre enrolled her son in Tennessee Connections Academy, and within two years, she said his reading improved from a kindergarten to a 9th-grade level.

“The day I found out that he started excelling and getting on his actual level, I ugly cried. I’m not going to lie,” McIntyre said. “I had always been so scared that with all his disabilities and things that he wouldn’t be able to do things on his own, and I became a ‘hover mom.’ With this school, he actually has to tell me to back off.”

Dr. Dusty Reed, Tennessee Connections Academy’s school leader, told News 2 the students enrolled have different “environmental needs,” and benefit from virtual schooling over traditional school.

“We serve a large population of students who have special needs, who may not be able to sit in a brick-and-mortar setting for eight hours a day. We also serve students who are professional athletes or who have a special hobby they’re very involved in that they want to pursue as adults,” Reed said. “The benefit there is they get to pursue things that are of interest to them without being limited to a brick and mortar setting.”

At Tennessee Connections Academy, students attend live, synchronous classes with certified teachers, complete homework, and work on other assignments on their own time. Outside of their online coursework, students can attend in-person field trips, school dances, clubs, and more to socialize.

“I really like to call Tennessee Connections Academy school at home. It’s not homeschool. It’s school at home because you get the best of both worlds,” Reed said. “You get the best of a homeschool environment and a public school program all wrapped up into one.”

McIntyre added another perk of the virtual school is her son hasn’t had to deal with bullying, which was a problem he faced in traditional public school.

“It’s just a blessing to be able to go to this school for him,” McIntyre said.

Tennessee Connections Academy has reached its state enrollment capacity of 3,000 students and has a waitlist, according to Reed. For more information, click here.