About 20% of these students call SIDES their "school of record," meaning that they take most or all of their courses through the Distributed Learning program.

SIDES's Kindergarten to Grade 9 programs include the parents as an important part of the students' educational experience.

Parents or other designated adults serve as "home facilitators" and partner with the SIDES teachers to deliver and support student learning.

If students are ordinarily residents of British Columbia, but are traveling or living abroad temporarily, they may take courses from anywhere in the world.

SIDES was established in 1988 as one of nine regional public "distance education" schools in British Columbia.