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The Rev. Kenny Davis, headmaster, said about 55 students from 35 states and four countries are enrolled in The Oaks Virtual Academy, a diploma-granting online middle and high school.
About a dozen of those students are local, he said.
The Oaks is opening this year after another online school based on Hilton Head closed. St. Mark's Academy opened last fall and served students for one year.
The two academies are separate, but Davis said many of the students enrolled at The Oaks attended St. Mark's last year. Davis, who worked at St. Mark's before forming The Oaks, said families were unhappy with the school's leadership.
Davis said The Oaks' online program will allow students to take control of their education.
"It provides them with the flexibility, the freedom to do various things," he said.
He said several of the school's students are involved in sports -- such as golf, tennis or ice skating -- that require time during the typical school day. Others are involved in mission work or social causes and don't want to be locked into attending classes from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., he said.
Courses will be completed entirely online, and the school advertises access to virtual tutors 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Davis said many of the school's families are evangelical Christians who have become disenchanted with public schools but can't afford a bricks-and-mortar private school. He said some families have considered home schooling, but parents aren't comfortable teaching some advanced courses.
Christian values will be incorporated throughout courses that are part of a typical high school curriculum, Davis said. For example, he said biology students will learn about both creationism and evolution.
Davis said the school uses a curriculum that includes Advanced Placement and honors classes by Apex Learning, which is accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools. It also requires students to complete a Bible course and take leadership classes with a Christian emphasis.
The Oaks offices are on Executive Park Road and include a learning center local students can visit to receive academic help in person.
Tuition for full-time students is $159 per academic month, according to the school's website.
The nondenominational school is seeking accreditation from the Association of Christian Schools International, Davis said.
