The state might be making changes to the way it grades school districts and those changes would mean many which are now labeled excellent or effective could see their scores drop.

E-schools, the online learning academies, say the newly proposed grading system would be even worse for them. Cynthia Williams, an e-school board member, says e-schools would not be treated fairly under the new rules.

"According to the revamp, a lot of our schools that have been rated effectively, next year, will not make that same grading," Williams says. "For example, a lot of our students come to our schools and they are a couple of grade levels behind when they come to us so that isn’t taken into effect."

Williams and other e-school advocates say the state has rules in place that make it easier to close non-traditional schools that don’t make the grade. So she says it would be easier for the state to close schools that drop as a result of a new grading system. That has Vicky Marimon of Akron worried that her daughter won’t get to continue with progress she’s making in her online school.

"Our kids can go at their own pace and accelerate as they need to," Marimon says. "My kids were bored in public schools, a lot of down time, waiting for other kids. They really like the challenge of being at home and being able to accelerate. Mackenzie skipped a grade and she works through it and it’s good."

Brielle Cashmere, a 3rd grader in an online school, says she tried public school and didn’t like it.

"When I went to school, my teacher was mean and would yell at us for doing nothing," Brielle says. "[At] home, you can just figure it out and take as much time as you need."

Brielle’s Mom might not be someone who you think would sing the praises of an online school. Crystal Cashmere works for Akron Public Schools.  But she says traditional public schools are not the best option for every student.

"Public schools are not always the best thing I hate to say," Cashmere says. "There’s a lot of peer pressure, a lot off bullying and your child just getting passed over."

Patrick Galloway with the Ohio Department of Education says the newly proposed grading system is not set in stone.

"We have to get this first, approved by the Ohio legislature to implement a new grading system throughout the state," Galloway says, "so it’s premature to jump to any conclusion that districts or community schools may fear closure because of this newly proposed system."

Galloway says the state is trying to comply with federal rules on evaluating schools.  And he says Ohio’s rules on closing schools would likely have to be revisited as part of that process.

Supporters of online schools want to be sure Ohio lawmakers revisit the school closing rules if they decide to put the new grading system in place.