The head of Indiana's first virtual charter school celebrated what he called its "birthday" Tuesday with parents and supporters during a launch at The Children's Museum…. House Democrats want to squash virtual charter schools in Indiana months before the first two are set to open…. A budget plan put forward by the Democrat-controlled House last month included a ban on the schools, which teach children over the Internet without ever convening in a regular classroom…. Some politicians predict the Senate won't follow the House's lead, but they're still worried….

Supporters say online charter schools are a natural fit for an Internet-driven society that demands more educational control…. School districts lose thousands of dollars in taxpayer money when a child transfers….  Two online charter schools approved last month will give their students computers, Internet access, textbooks and lessons mapped out by a curriculum marketed by K12, a Virginia company….

Three-quarters of Hoosiers who participated in a fall Indiana University survey opposed online charter schools.

Staci Hupp, Indianapolis Star, March 7