Cyndi Loza

The launching of a new online school is giving some area students a second chance at a high school diploma.

The Insight School of Nevada has begun accepting applications for the public high school’s inaugural fall semester. The school plans to offer online, interactive classes that aim to encompass high levels of personal attention, student support, flexibility and academic quality.

“I’m excited because I couldn’t do the whole go, sit and do class thing,” said Markee Rasmussen, 18, of Spanish Springs, who dropped out of Spanish Springs High School in her senior year. “I had too many priorities, and work got in the way.”

Rhonda Coleman, public relations manager for Insight Schools, said students such as Rasmussen will join more than 2,500 students nationwide in other Insight Schools in states such as California, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin.

Coleman said the goals, curriculum and clubs of the school are similar to any other traditional high school. The school offers a variety of clubs, Advanced Placement courses, formals and gives each student a computer, printer and scanner for their classes.

“We’re definitely on the same side of any high school,” Coleman said. “But Insight School of Nevada is for students for whom a traditional bricks-and-mortar high school is not a good fit.”

She said students in Insight schools vary from those who cannot attend school due to a physical condition or illness to those who want a more challenging curriculum.

Austin Davidson, 18, said he prefers this school over his current correspondence school that relies heavily on the mail.

“This system is better because it’s almost instantaneous,” said Davidson, who lives in Kingston, a small town more than 200 miles east of Reno.