(a) An eligible student enrolled in a virtual instruction program shall:

(1) Be counted in the net enrollment of the school district in which the student resides for the purposes of calculating and receiving state aid;

(2) Be subject to the same state assessment requirements as other students in the school district; and

(3) Receive a diploma from the school district, upon completing the same coursework required of regular public school students in the district.

(b) An eligible student participating in a virtual instruction program, to the extent the program as delineated in the county board policy allows or requires instruction to occur outside of a school building, is not required to comply with compulsory school attendance requirements set forth in article eight of this code or any other provision of law or state board rule relating to attendance.

(c) Neither the school district, the eligible student nor the parents of the student participating in a virtual instruction program, to the extent the program as delineated in the county board policy allows or requires instruction to occur outside of a school building, may incur any penalty or be held accountable for the absence of the student from the school building.

(d) For an eligible student participating in a virtual instruction program, neither the school district nor the student, to the extent the program as delineated in the county board policy is a learn at your own pace program, is required to comply with the instructional term requirement set forth in section forty-five, article five of this chapter or any other law or state board rule requiring a student to be receiving instruction for any set time.

(e) An eligible student participating in a virtual instruction program shall be considered to be attending the school in the attendance district created by the county board pursuant to section sixteen, article five of this chapter that the eligible student resides in unless otherwise transferred to another school pursuant to that section or any other provision of this code. The eligible student may participate in any cocurricular and extracurricular activities of that school, but is subject to the same participation requirements imposed on a traditional student attending the school.

(f) A county board is exempt from any provision of law or state board rule that applies to the traditional delivery of instruction such as requirements relating to the physical presence of a student, student monitoring and security, the maximum teacher-pupil ratio set forth in section eighteen-a, article five of this chapter, instructional time requirements and physical education requirements to the extent any of the foregoing conflict with the delivery of the virtual instruction program.

(g) The virtual instruction program is not subject to online course restrictions imposed by the state board, state superintendent or the West Virginia Department of Education.

(h) Coursework offered through a virtual instruction program shall be aligned to the appropriate academic standards as required by state law and state board rule.

(i) The assessment results of a student shall be included in the assessment results of the school and the school district in which the student is considered enrolled pursuant to this section for purposes of accountability.