JACKSON - Teton County School District 1 has approved virtual education for students starting this fall.

Connections Academy is a nationwide, for-profit virtual education program for students in all grades. The Connections Academy Web site says all its teachers are state-certified.

School district officials say most teachers at Jackson Hole Connections Academy will be in Wyoming.

Following the school board approval, Teton County School District now is seeking state approval for its students to take part in the program.

Jackson Hole High School Principal Scott Crisp said the academy is part of the district's shift toward using more technology in education.

"Twenty years from now, none of us can project what schools are going to be like," Crisp said. "I believe we're going to be able to provide an option for any student anywhere in the state for a quality education."

Jackson Hole High School Assistant Principal Jim Rooks also is working on the academy. Families in Alta, south of Jackson in northern Lincoln County, are among those interested in taking part, Rooks said.

"We're receiving a tremendous interest from lots of different groups," he said. "What we're fundamentally trying to do is radically expand education opportunities and choice for all Wyoming students."

Superintendent Pam Shea said the district has offered online courses for years.

"It's just, I feel, another service we can offer in education to meet the needs of kids," she said.

Other virtual schools in Wyoming have been started in recent years in Gillette and Lusk.