JEFFERSON TWP — The South Butler School District will start its own cyber charter school.

The school for ninth to 12th grades will offer 30 courses and the opportunity to earn a Knoch High School diploma. It will begin in the fall.

The school board Wednesday night approved the new school.

Dale Lumley, assistant superintendent, said about 80 students from the district attend cyber schools, 43 of them are in high school grades. The school will need to attract 15 students to be self-sufficient.

The school will be aided by an existing cyber school program, VLN Partners. Lumley said the program will allow the district to create a curriculum that mirrors the in-school lessons. Additionally, the program may bring the students into the school for tests and labs.

Lumley said the goal is to save the district tuition money.

A cyber charter school is a public school that allows the student to take classes at his home by computer. If a student chooses a charter school, the state mandates that the child's home school district pay the charter school tuition money.

If the student attends a charter school operated by the district, the district can keep that tuition money.

The potential is to save hundreds of thousands of dollars, Lumley said.