The purpose of this paper is to present the Large Unit District Association virtual high school (LUDA-VHS) project and discuss its design, development, and implementation. A model developed at the Center for the Application of Information Technologies for designing online classes will be presented and discussed. The focus of the paper will be to present the lessons learned and provide practical recommendations on how to design successful online programs. Issues to be discussed include the following: recruiting, training, and compensating teachers; selecting and supporting students; developing instructional strategies for online learning; building a sense of community; educating the public on the benefits of online education; providing equal access; building quality assurance mechanisms.