In our increasingly wired society, it makes sense for the public schools to begin offering classes entirely online for students who would do well in that kind of education setting.

The Clovis Unified School District is pursuing a charter high school that would be a major departure from the traditional education offered at neighborhood schools. The online high school is expected to be popular among students seeking education alternatives. Some school districts that have experimented with the concept have reported waiting lists for students wanting an online education.

With enrollment dipping in Clovis Unified this year, school officials hope that they can recapture students who have left the traditional school setting. The drop in students has cost the district state attendance funding.

If this is just about signing up students for Internet classes to get more state funding, we oppose such a concept. But if this effort is truly aimed at providing a better education for students who have left school, then it's a proposal worth pursuing.

The Clovis school board has approved the charter proposal, which now allows the district to seek a $250,000 planning grant from the state Department of Education. The plan must then get state approval and undergo more study by the district. The online charter high school could be ready by fall 2009 if it meets all the requirements.

This concept is in its infancy, with a tiny number of students taking online classes out of the millions of students attending public schools across the nation. Still, 700,000 students got online educations in 2005, according to the Washington Policy Center in Seattle.

Clovis officials said their high standards for students in traditional schools would not be relaxed in the online high school. That's not negotiable. A diploma from an online high school must carry the same academic weight as a diploma from a traditional high school.

The preliminary plans call for students to enroll in four to six online courses at a time. Clovis officials said that after an initial meeting with teachers, the students would mostly interact with staff by video.

"We're convinced there's going to be an online charter high school in Fresno County someday. Why not from Clovis Unified?" said Superintendent Terry Bradley.