“We Strive and Rise, Together.”
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Catherine Truitt, Superintendent of Public Instruction | Twitter
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Freebird McKinney, Director of Legislative and Community Affairs | Twitter
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Julie Paige Pittman, Special Advisor to the Superintendent: Teacher Engagement | Twitter
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Tabari Wallace, Special Advisor to the Superintendent: Principal Engagement | Twitter
 The District Visits and Voice Team visited and celebrated the new Ocracoke School. After being devastated by recent hurricanes, the new Ocracoke School exemplifies resiliency, innovation, and heritage.
 Statewide Celebration of Learning
- Bringing the best stories to light - amazing opportunity. #NCAIM2021
#NCEd for fall 2021! #SchoolPR #EdLeadNC #NCEdEquity
EdNC - Alex Granados
Virtual academies are basically virtual schools within a district. A student in the district can enroll there and take all of his or her classes virtually. While some districts had virtual schools in some shape or form prior to COVID-19, the pandemic spurred more districts around the state to create these academies. For those families who didn’t want their students in school at all during the pandemic school year of 2020-21, these virtual schools were an option that allowed them to plan ahead and feel secure. But now that vaccines are available for adults and students in the 12-17-year-old age group (see EducationNC’s article on vaccinations in this age group here), will families still have the option of a virtual school this fall?
Who has a virtual school this school year?
According to data from the state Department of Public Instruction (DPI), 54 fully virtual schools will be operating in the 2021-22 school year. Two of those are the state’s two virtual charter schools, which leaves 52 virtual schools operating within school districts. Of those 52, 40 will be new this school year. Of the 12 that aren’t new, seven opened for the first time last year. The 52 district virtual schools are within 43 of the state’s 115 school districts. That is because multiple districts have more than one virtual school. This is particularly true of bigger districts such as Wake and Mecklenburg, both of whom have three virtual schools. Gaston County also has three, and Cumberland, Guilford, and Onslow all have two. Here is a spreadsheet courtesy of DPI that shows the schools, their districts, and their open dates. However, according to DPI communications director Blair Rhoades, those numbers may change. Rhoades said some of the 40 new virtual schools will close in the next six weeks. “Earlier this year, the school districts (LEAs) were still navigating COVID and the budget process, so we're preparing for any scenario and applied for new virtual school numbers in the event they were needed,” Rhoades said in an email. “Since then, some LEAs have determined that they will not need a separate and distinct virtual school. Those are the schools which will not be active this year (or phase out in those six weeks).”
Complete EdNC article
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