Be True to Your Cyberschool

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Mueller said Apollo hopes that some of its online high school students will decide to continue their education at the University of Phoenix, Mueller said. "I think there will be significant numbers of students who find that the University of Phoenix is a good option for them," Mueller said.

But analysts said they are skeptical that Apollo will be able to move a cohort of online high school students into their online universities. Signal Hill's Urdan says, "There is no real evidence to support the notion that the kids who go to virtual high schools then go on to virtual universities. It is really just a thesis at this point."

May Pose Risk to Students

In the meantime, the companies also will have to deal with wary politicians, teachers' unions, and public education watch groups, which are closely following the growth and performance of online charter schools, Urdan said.

Barbara Stein, manager of 21st century education at the National Education Assn., is concerned that students who attend virtual high schools may be losing out on the benefits of a traditional high school experience. She says many online virtual high schools do not meet the NEA's criteria for a quality education and have come under scrutiny by public education groups. "We think those are not a great idea. Most students do not do that well when they have no face-to-face interactions," says Stein. "There may be extreme situations where that is the appropriate recourse, but for most students it is not."

Students who sign up for an online high school may be taking a academic and professional risk, worries Gene Maeroff, author of A Classroom of One: How Online Learning Is Changing Our Schools and Colleges. He says it is unclear yet how online high school diplomas will be viewed by college admissions officers and employers. "Whether or not entities can make this into a profit program really depends on recognition," says Maeroff. "If they expect to grant a diploma, who will recognize this diploma besides state education officials?"

Those fears may subside as online courses and high schools become more commonplace. But it is unlikely that these schools will ever replace traditional brick-and-mortar high schools. After all, there's little room for school spirit in the hallways of cyberspace.

Damast is a reporter for BusinessWeek.com.