Elementary school students in Utah soon may be able to go to school without ever having to leave home…. Utah education officials hope to expand their online offerings to students from kindergarten through eighth grade…. The state's Electronic High School currently has about 22,000 students taking one or more courses. Like the high school, the K-8 program would be available to all students whether they are in traditional public schools, charter schools or are home-schooled…. [U]nlike the high school, the curriculum may not be locally produced …. A K-8 online program the state likely would obtain from a content provider would offer younger students curriculum based on Utah academic requirements…

If the state does move forward with the K-8 plan, it may have competition…. State Charter School Board members on Thursday discussed the possibility of an online charter school just weeks after Utah lawmakers rejected a proposed "virtual" charter school that would have been set up by the State Education Office.

Julia Lyon, Salt Lake Tribune, March 16.