Current efforts to encourage students to persist are not stemming the tide of drop-outs. Estimates of the high school dropout rate range from 10-30 percent (Hardy 2002). The impact of having no high school diploma causes these students to experience economic and social struggles throughout the time in life that should be their most productive. One group of students at risk of dropping out includes those who receive homebound instruction because of extended illness, psychological problems, or serious behavioral issues. Traditionally, these students have been taught via expensive one-on-one instruction. The number of homebound students has been increasing, and districts are anxious to explore alternatives to reduce expenses and meet the needs of these students. With the goal to keep students in school until graduation and address the complex needs of excluded and homebound at-risk secondary students, a partnership was forged among two school districts, faculty members from a small state university, and a university-based technology company specializing in distance education. Supported by a U.S. Department of Education Fund for the Improvement of Education Earmark Grant, the partnership designed an online educational program, the Virtual Education Academy (VEA), for homebound and excluded secondary students. Here, the development, implementation, and impact of this partnership are described.