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Starting next fall, Immaculate Heart High School will begin to offer a select number of students elective courses in subjects such as DNA technology, screenwriting fundamentals and criminology.

But the instructors teaching those courses will never set foot on the Immaculate Heart campus, 625 E. Magee Road.

The Catholic college preparatory school announced last month that it will offer online classes to supplement its regular course offerings. The online classes will be taught through a partnership with Virtual High School, a collaboration of high schools, teachers and students from more than 300 schools in 27 states and 24 countries. There is a fee, which varies depending on the type of membership, to participate in the program.

"How else could we provide 200 elective choices?" said Thomas P. Long, president of the private school. "We wouldn't be able to do that in a traditional course-delivery model."

As a participating member, the high school is guaranteed 15 seats in more than 200 online courses and will designate one faculty member to teach an online course.

Kay Shannon, the school's technology director, will serve as the liaison between Immaculate Heart and Virtual High School. She also will teach a statistics and quality-management online course.

During the pilot year, the school will select 15 students to enroll in the online course of their choice. High school principal Dan Ethridge will chose students based on submitted applications. Seats will be opened to seniors first, he said.

Students who are selected will have the option of taking one online class, which will be conducted during a normal class period in the school's computer lab. The lab is being upgraded and will be ready for the fall semester.

School officials expect the number of students enrolled in online courses to expand based on the results, but they realize that online learning is not for everybody.

Currently, 65 students attend Immaculate Heart, but next school year's projected enrollment is around 75, Long said.

"We feel it is going to take a lot of self-discipline," Long said. "If there is a slew of kids we have to turn away, and the 15 kids who go in are very successful and this indicates a burgeoning interest, I think we would strongly consider expanding it immediately next year."

Though Virtual High School offers core, elective and advanced-placement courses, Long expects students to supplement the core classes Immaculate Heart offers with electives or advanced-placement courses. Currently the school does not offer advanced-placement courses.

By diversifying the curriculum, the school hopes to lure more students to the school.

"We have 200 electives," Long said. "How many schools can say that?"

Faculty members hope current students will gain 21st century technology and communication skills from participating in online courses. And it will reinforce what students are learning in core classes.

"If anything, you're gaining leaps and bounds," said Cathy Middleton, associate director of institutional advancement at the school. "But you're also retaining and advancing core skills that you have to have to do well in the working world and college — writing, reading, analyzing information, being able to express yourself and communicating. As you take these courses, you have to get better at them in order to do well."

Most students are sold on the idea of taking online courses.

"They look really interesting," freshman Ricky Ross said about the courses. "They give a wider curriculum and more options than what the normal school would include."

Ross, 15, said he would be interested in a Web-design course.

"The students themselves will sell the program after the first year," said school technology director Shannon.

Then there are the students who don't have a strong urge to leave the comforts of the traditional classroom. Face-to-face interaction with students and a teacher is not something an online course offers.

"I've been home-schooled my whole life so I really like going to a classroom and getting taught in the classroom setting," said junior Kaitlyn Torgerson. "I've already taken online courses at my house and some of them are really cool, and you learn a lot."

Torgerson, 16, said she would recommend online courses, but would prefer a traditional classroom. But she said she won't rule out the possibility of taking a course that interests her.

Chances are there is something even Torgerson will like.