(WTAJ) — Now, more than ever, parents and students are learning about the different options they have when it comes to education.

Some school districts in our region have chosen a hybrid model. This means students will spend time learning both inside the classroom and online.

However, some parents have chosen to only use virtual classrooms this year. It’s a trend that’s on the rise.

“I can’t guarantee that other people will do what is recommended,” Sarah Barrett, a parent of two girls, said.

Barrett and her husband spent a lot of time weighing their options before deciding online school was the right decision for their family.

Her girls will be using Richland School District’s online program and will be learning through google classrooms. They’ll still have teachers it’s just going to be in a virtual setting.

“Once numbers are down, once we have a vaccine and there’s immunity established or once we know what this will look like and what safety protocols need to be in place, then our children can return face-to-face,” Barrett explained.

Barrett knows this is a decision that’s personal to everybody. What’s right for her family might be different for another.

Cyber school in general is a seemingly new concept for some.

In March, when districts shut down for quarantine, many did remote learning for the first time. With coronavirus cases still on the rise, more and more parents are realizing this option is available.

“As parents are concerned about the pandemic and worried about their students safety, they are having conversations with their school districts about what they can do to get education in an online format,” Tom Butler, the executive director of Appalachia Intermediate Unit 8, said.

Appalachia Intermediate Unit 8 oversees 35 districts in four of our local counties.

He told us every school is seeing an increase in parents asking about online instruction.

“School districts are taking this very seriously,” Butler said. “They have learned a lot over the last four to five months and I think parents will see that when they go and talk to their local districts about online options.”

The Central Pennsylvania Digital Learning Foundation, or CPDLF, is just one of those options available to all parents in the commonwealth.

Online learning is nothing new for the cyber-charter school. They have been around for almost 20 years.

“We really want our learners to feel that they belong to a larger group, to a peer group, even though they are somewhat isolated at their homes doing their learning,” Kimberly Salyards, the Principal of CPDLF, told us.

The school provides learning guides to both parents and students. They act as a partner so no one ever feels like they’re alone.

“So an important piece of the learning guide is getting to know the family and the family dynamic so that you can support that learner,” Barbara Dikum, the marketing coordinator & a learning guide at CPDLF, explained.

Through the years they have seen their program grow. They had 41 graduates in the class of 2020. However, this upcoming school year they told us interest has peaked even more.

Sara Hess is just one parent who thought CPDLF was the best fit for her family this year. She has 5-year-old twins who are starting kindergarten and said there were just too many uncertainties with face-to-face learning.

“I’d rather be safe than sorry,” Hess said. “So when things need to be figured out it’s not going to be figured out with my children.”

Whether it’s in person, online, or a combination of both, things are going to look different this year.

“We’re all in this together and adjusting and I think that is very important to realize,” Barrett said. “This is not divisive. This is a uniting moment.”

Making sure you’re doing what’s most comfortable for you and your children right now is all we can ask of ourselves. It’s a learning curve for everyone.