(SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.) Taylion Virtual Academy held its grand opening recently, to promote awareness of this new education option for Southern California families.

Taylion Virtual Academy was previously known as Carden Virtual Academy.

“In our planning, we decided it was important to focus on our core values,” said Shannon Smith, co-founder of the school with her husband Tim. “”These are Trust, Acceptance, Youth, Leadership, Optimism, Integrity and Nurturing.”

“I would like to welcome Taylion Virtual Academy to the City of San Bernardino, and to California,” said San Bernardino City Councilman Rikke Van Johnson at the Friday, Sept. 24 grand opening. “This is its founders’ first school in California.”

Founders Tim and Shannon Smith have other successful charter schools in the Phoenix, Ariz. Area. The Arizona schools have an 85 to 100 percent graduation rate, and score in the 80th percentile and above on standardized tests for their state.

Taylion Virtual Academy, a charter school approved as Carden Virtual Academy by the San Bernardino City Unified School District, provides most of its education through online and home schooling programs. Its core operations, and an independent study program where students meet face to face with teachers twice weekly, operate at 1184 W. Second Street,

This address is a suite of offices in a new commercial building near the historic San Bernardino Depot. A few retail businesses occupy other suites in the building, and city leaders hope Taylion Virtual Academy’s presence will bring even more business to the area in west San Bernardino.

“I am glad to see a school in this business center because choices in education are the key to having an educated work force in our city,” Johnson said. “An educated work force is the key to developing new business in this city, which will allow us to better serve the residents of San Bernardino.”

Judi Penman, representing both the San Bernardino Chamber of Commerce as its executive director, and the San Bernardino City Unified School District as one of the governing board members who voted in favor of Carden Virtual Academy’s charter petition, also welcomed the new school to San Bernardino.

“We are always looking for alternatives to support the education of children in San Bernardino,” she said. “I am especially pleased to see a school in a highly visible business center, as we can hope it will bring even more business to this center.”

Taylion Virtual Academy will provide education options for all families with children in kindergarten through high school, residing in San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange, Los Angeles, Kern or Inyo counties. These options include home schooling and independent study.

Taylion Virtual Academy offers independent study for grades 9-12 and home schooling assistance for grades kindergarten through 12th grade. It is an option for families who wish to be directly involved in their children’s education, for teens who seek an accelerated schedule to begin college early, and for teens needing to catch up on credits to graduate with their classmates.

For more information, or a campus tour, call Taylion Virtual Academy at (909) 256-0449, or 1-800 438-2273 or go to taylion.com