RATON, New Mexico (STPNS) -- The Cimarron school board Wednesday heard a presentation about an online education program that the state will make available to students across the state.

Innovative Digital Education and Learning, or IDEAL-NM, will provide online learning to students in kindergarten through 12th grades, allowing students to gain access to educational opportunities in their district that they might otherwise not have. The courses offered are meant to supplement those already offered to students in the schools they attend.



Dr. Tim Snyder, IDEAL-NM executive director, spoke to the school board about the program and how it works. Cimarron schools Superintendent James Gallegos said the district plans to use IDEAL-NM to provide online courses for high school students, noting that the state requires high school students to take one online course in order to graduate.

Gallegos added that IDEAL-NM eventually plans to offer professional development courses for teachers as well.

According to the IDEAL-NM website, "New Mexico is the first state in the nation to create a statewide eLearning system that from its inception encompasses all aspects of learning from traditional public and higher education environments to teacher professional development, continuing education and workforce education."

IDEAL-NM started as an initiative announced by Gov. Bill Richardson in 2006, followed by legislation passed during the 2007 session. The program started on a pilot basis during the 2007-2008 school year, and will now be offered to all districts this school year.

Teachers from throughout the state, through an application process, are selected by state officials to teach the online courses.

In other business, the school board:

? Tabled changes to the high school student handbook as the board wanted clarification regarding the section about student eligibility for athletics and extracurricular activities.

? Approved continuing business with Summit Food Service, the private company that the district has contracted with to provide food service. Gallegos said the district is entering the final year of a five-year contract - although the board must give approval each year - with the company, so next year, the district will need to put forth a request for proposals for a food service contract.