Hudson Student Will Be Allowed To Take Classes Using Robot

HUDSON (CBS) – Students in Hudson will soon have a robotic classmate. Lawmakers just ruled a boy with disabilities can attend school remotely.

Keegan Concannon is out of school a lot, 115 days this year. The seventh grader lives with an immune deficiency that makes him susceptible to infections.

"We've been fighting for a long time," said Laura Concannon, Keegan's mother. "He's a smart young man. He has such a strong desire to learn. He's a 4.0 student. He just wants to be part of his teachers, part of his classmates and the everyday environment he misses."

Thanks to a VGo robot, Keegan no longer has to miss out. He can log on from home, see and hear his teachers and classmates, ask questions and then "travel" to his next class.

"Keegan's like 'oh we're doing it,'" Laura said. "We're going to make a difference for all kids, not just me."

The US Attorney's Office announced Monday schools must allow this kind of alternative in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

"Why not be on the forefront of something instead of staying in the past?" Keegan's dad Robert Concannon said. "Put Hudson on the map. Say, 'Hey we're doing this, follow our lead.'"

In addition to staying academically on track, Keegan will finally get to meet and interact with more of his classmates.

"My next journey is to make this much more official through the Department of Education," Laura said. "I don't plan on stopping here."

The VGo costs around $6,000, but Keegan received his for free thanks to Grahamtastic Connection which is a Maine based organization that provides technology to chronically ill students for school.