FAQ
What questions do you have about Online Catawba? If you have a question that is not answered below, please fill out this form.
How do I sign up for an Online Catawba course?
Students who want to take high school courses, should contact the school counselor at their school of residence.
Students who want to take middle school courses should contact the CCS Director of Online Learning, Terri Hall terri_hall@catawbaschools.net
Who can take Online Catawba courses?
Any student who lives in Catawba County, North Carolina is eligible.
What is the cost of taking online classes?
Online Catawba offers its courses to Catawba County Schools' students at no cost.
Can my child take an online course if they are not currently a CCS student?
Yes. Students who live in Catawba County, NC can enroll in CCS and then take all courses online from home. Students would need to enroll in at least 2 CCS Online Catawba classes. In this scenario, there would be no cost to the student.
What if I do not want to enroll in CCS?
The cost is $500 per course for non-CCS students.
Who are the instructors?
Online Catawba instructors are NC certified teachers currently teaching in CCS and surrounding school systems.
What grade do students have to be in to participate?
Students in 9-12 can take any Online Catawba course where prerequisites have been met. Students in grades 7 and 8 can participate with a recommendation from their principal or a meeting with homeschool parents and the CCS Director of Online Learning.
How many courses can a student take?
Students can take Online Catawba courses during, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and/or 5th period in a day. Students can take a minimum of 1 course or as many as 5 courses per day.
How will parents be notified of student progress?
Teachers will provide communication to parents throughout the semester as needed.
Parents can sign up for parent portal access through Canvas and PowerSchool to monitor progress and sign up for email/text notifications.
Printed progress report will not be sent home to parents.
How will final grades be issued?
Online Catawba will follow the same grading procedures as traditional courses.
Students will receive Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4, E1 and F1 grades on the same schedule as traditional students.
Report cards will be issued on the same date for all CCS students.
How does Online Catawba affect my homeschool status?
- Homeschoolers who take classes through Online Catawba are considered "visiting" students and can maintain homeschool status.
- Homeschoolers enrolled for at least 2 Online Catawba courses per semester have tuition paid by the state of NC.
- Homeschoolers enrolled in Online Catawba for only 1 course , do not have tuition pad by the state of NC. In this case, the tuition fee is $500.00.
Can Online Catawba students participate in sports?
Yes! To be eligible to participate in sports, students must follow all rules established by the NC High School Athletic Association and NC Department of Public Instruction. Contact the athletic director at your school or residence for details.
Can I take ALL classes online without physically attending school on campus?
Yes! Students can take all courses from home. If the student was previously a homeschooler and wants to enroll in Online Catawba courses, contact your school of residence to speak to the Online Catawba Counselor.
What if I don't have a computer?
No problem! All CCS students in grades 6-12 are provided with a Chromebook, thanks to our local partnership with K-64 Learning.
What if I don't have internet access?
High school students who do not have reliable home internet access, may qualify for a free hotspot thanks to our partnership with the 1Million Project.
Middle school students may have options to qualify for a hotspot to access the internet.
Many local places (e.g., libraries, restaurants, etc.) also provide free internet access.
Do not let home access prevent you from participating in Online Catawba courses! Contact the CCS Director of Online Learning to find out what options might be available for you.
How long are courses? Are full-year courses an option?
Courses are semester courses. Full-year courses may be an option in the future.
Regular and honors courses are 17 weeks and 1 week of exams
AP courses are 13 weeks with AP exam to follow
Will courses be available in the summer?
We do not currently offer summer courses but are considering this as a future option.
How will final exams be conducted?
Exams with state mandated exams will be conducted face to face. Elective (non state exam) courses will have a mandatory online exam developed by the course instructor taken during exam week.