You would never know that these students don't attend this school. But they're receiving the same lessons students at Dale County High School are taking. That's all thanks to a distant learning program the school has been involved in.

Heather Smith, a teacher at Dale Co. High School, says, "The children that I teach in Coffeville, if they didn't have an access program like we do, the video, internet conferencing, then those children would not be able to have an advanced diploma."

Smith is the Spanish teacher at Dale County High School and has been teaching distance learning for the past two years. Now, G.W Long and Ariton High will follow suit thanks to an $85,000 grant.

Principal Frank Brown, of Ariton High School, says, "I think distance learning is going to help those smaller schools that doesn't have the resources to hire a teacher for the like, AP classes or teach certain, like 2nd foreign language class."

Principal Brown says the distant learning program will allow students to take courses that are not offered at the high school. The $85,000 grant will provide 25 to 30 laptop computers for the school.

Student Keith Shehane says he wants to pursue a career in engineering. He says he wishes this opportunity would have come sooner.

Shehane, a senior this year, says, "If I would have had this in the 9th, or 7th grade, I could really understand what I wanted, chemical, mechanical, aeronautical,you know, whatever is offered out there."

Even though Shehane may not have as much time as others to take advantage of the program, teachers like smith say any opportunity to learn about it will be beneficial to the students future.

Smith says,"By the end of the course they are very tech savvy, and we have to be tech savvy to be successful in today's world.”

Students can also take virtual field trips and even watch things like a live surgery taking place and interact with the doctors. The schools hope to have the distant learning program set up and running by the beginning of the year.