Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Virtual Learning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Cabarrus Virtual Academy outlines program growth, middle school shift to asynchronous model
Summary
Cabarrus Virtual Academy leaders described program updates including expansion of asynchronous middle-school instruction, support for homebound and opportunity students, cross-enrollment options, and efforts to reduce state online-provider costs.
Cabarrus Virtual Academy (CVA) presented programmatic updates to the Cabarrus County Board of Education on May 5, outlining plans to expand asynchronous instruction for middle school students, continue cross‑enrollment for high school students, and reduce district spending on the state virtual provider.
Kristy Rotan, who began leading the district virtual program in January, told the board CVA differentiates its model from pandemic-era remote teaching and currently offers asynchronous high-school classes and synchronous middle-school instruction. Rotan said the district will shift middle grades to an asynchronous model beginning next school year, allowing students greater scheduling flexibility and opening access to homeschool families. She said students will still be invited to in-person tutoring or supports once a week and will have one‑to‑one check-ins from staff.
Rotan described services for several student groups: homebound students (medical or mental‑health reasons), tier‑3 opportunity students who cannot attend their assigned school for legal reasons, and middle‑school students who need higher‑level mathematics (for example, Math 2 in eighth grade) by pooling students countywide. She also described a new application process and data rules to curb the district’s costs for courses purchased through the state online program NCVPS/NCBPS, which she said had previously run high. Rotan reported that by tightening enrollment approvals the district expects to reduce next year’s NCBPS spending from a prior estimate of about $732,000 to roughly $320,000, a projected savings of about $400,000.
Board members asked about homeschool enrollment, athletics eligibility and fee costs. Rotan said homeschooled students requesting CVA must enroll in at least two courses; the district will provide those courses at no cost to families and additional courses are allowed. On sports eligibility she said program‑choice students attach sports eligibility to their assigned program school: some program-choice schools have sports and some do not. Rotan said class sizes are capped (not to exceed 35 per section) and that the district plans to build more CVA classes — including English III, AP Computer Science Principles and Art I — to reduce reliance on the state provider.
Superintendent John Kopicki and board members expressed support for Rotan’s work, noting the program’s role in offering alternative pathways and supporting students with unique schedules or needs. Board members generally voiced interest in enrollment details and implementation logistics as the district transitions its middle-school model to asynchronous instruction.
