MARYSVILLE – A Marysville student who saw his grades drop after being shoved into lockers, dragged across a cafeteria floor and threatened with a knife is now flourishing in a free online school.

Cameron McGill, 13, who lives with his Aunt Dea near the YMCA, was bullied every day for months as a seventh-grade middle schooler. Dea said the Marysville School District was of no help. “They kept saying they were working on it,” Dea said.

One day, Cameron received more than 50 messages on Facebook, being called, “gay,” a “faggot” and telling him to “kill himself.”

Two kids actually had the gall to come to their front door, asking for Cameron to come out and fight. Dea said they called police, who told her there was “nothing they could do about it.” It’s not like the school district isn’t trying. On Monday the school board passed a resolution on safe schools. This also is Kindness Week at the schools, along with Unity Month. And there’s also an ongoing educational series called, “Guiding Good Choices.” But for Cameron, Dea said he is very smart academically, but not so much socially. He likes attention, he likes to speak out, and kids who are not as intelligent can take that offensively, she said. Also, he can put kids down without meaning to, and he doesn’t back down.

“It’s mental versus physical,” Cameron said.

He is doing much better now that he enrolled in the online Washington Virtual Academy-Omak last December. “Students are able to complete their schoolwork anywhere with an internet connection, at any time of day. This flexibility has enabled Cameron to learn in a bully free environment where he can focus on his education rather than having to look over his shoulder,” said Dylan Martinez of the academy’s communications department.

According to the National Center of Educational Statistics, 21.5 percent of students report being bullied.

Dea said of Cameron now: “He’s back to his old self. He physically looks less stressed, and he’s not as unhappy.”

His aunt said she loves how communicative his online teachers are. She said she gets phone calls and emails all the time updating her on how he’s doing.

Cameron gets face time with his teachers through the internet, and there is a chat room so students can exchange thoughts and ideas. Dea likes that the K-12 program also sends materials for physical education, science and art for free. Some they can keep, but other items they send back with free mailing.

Cameron said he is taking science, math, English, P.E., art and history. English is his favorite, but math is what he is best at. “It’s more challenging. He has to think more,” Dea said of math.

For P.E., he has to do 100 minutes of activity a week. “It’s a little bit of everything,” Dea said, adding she has counted yard work, along with walking and swimming. She said that she likes that he can do P.E. on his own time, so if it’s raining, for example, he doesn’t have to go outside.

They both like that he can work at his own pace.

“I can get done faster,” he said, adding he doesn’t have to wait for others to finish.

Dea also likes that the online schools can differentiate instruction, so that Cameron is challenged instead of just doing what everyone else does.

“They put kids where they need to be,” she said, but still thinks, “He should be moved up.”

Even though he was bullied, Cameron said he does miss “children my age to talk to.” His brother, 11, lives with his grandma nearby, as they don’t get along. At his aunt’s house, he lives with her 6- and 3-year-old. She also babysits younger kids.

“He helps with them,” Dea said of Cameron.

The online school does host outings so students can interact socially. They just had one at the Museum of Flight in Everett, and they are working to have one at Altitude Trampoline Park in Marysville, which is just blocks from where they live.

Dea said Cameron is really good at robotics and drawing cartoon characters. She thinks he has a future with Disney animation.

He’s not sure. He’s only 13. He just seems older in certain situations.

“He picks things up faster than most people,” Dea said. “He says and speaks what he feels.”

“But I’m not trying to offend anyone,” Cameron said.