WS/Forsyth board approves closing Virtual Academy school code; students to move to Winston‑Salem Prep and Cook

The Winston‑Salem/Forsyth County Schools (WS/FCS) Board of Education voted 5‑4 on Feb. 11 to close the district’s Virtual Academy school code and relocate virtual instruction into Winston‑Salem Preparatory Academy for grades 6‑12 and to phase elementary virtual programming into Cook Elementary over the next two school years.

The decision follows a public hearing in which parents, current Virtual Academy teachers and other community members urged the board to preserve the Virtual Academy as a separate school. “It will be imperative that our families are supported throughout this transition beyond just communication by telephone and email,” said Anne Proctor, assistant principal of instruction for the Virtual Academy, during public comment.

The vote comes after staff presentations that described the change as a cost‑saving and sustainability measure. Chris Weigert, chief human resources officer, told the board that combining the 6‑12 program into Winston‑Salem Prep would create efficiencies in course offerings and staffing: “If you were asking me for an updated number … we’d have about 138 middle school students and then 190 high school students, which would give us approximately 368 kids in virtual instruction.” He added that the district expects to realize savings next fiscal year equal to “a little north of $900,000” by eliminating duplicate administrative and support positions.

Board members and staff emphasized that the district is not ending virtual instruction. “This is not the ending of a program. It is a transition into something that is more sustainable down the road,” Superintendent Tricia McManus told the board, urging that the quality of virtual instruction continue.

Speakers at the public hearing described the Virtual Academy as a specialized option that serves students with anxiety, neurodivergence or other needs that make full‑time in‑person school difficult. “Virtual Academy provides a safe learning environment for students that struggle with severe anxiety or depressive disorders,” said Rhonda Mays, a former WS/FCS school social worker. Jenny Easter, identified as president of FCAE and an educator and parent, warned that moving the program out of a standalone school could degrade the community and supports the Virtual Academy currently provides: “If we want to keep this modality of teaching and be successful for our students, we have to be all in.”

Jennifer Chambers, a Virtual Academy teacher and parent, described the program’s role for students and staff: “The Virtual Academy isn’t just another school, it’s a lifeline for students, including my own two children.” Several parents said they feared families would leave the district for statewide virtual programs if the local option were reduced.

Staff described transition protections for current employees. Weigert said the district has sent letters explaining that “the current virtual staff will have that placement opportunity beforehand, before we start [the] transfer process,” and that staff will receive “first choice” of vacancies before the general transfer window opens. Board members pressed for clarity about how many licensed positions would be lost to consolidation; staff said the reduction amounts to roughly 6.5 licensed positions plus two administrators and three office support roles that would be absorbed into other vacancies.

Board discussion emphasized competing priorities: preserve a specialized option versus districtwide budget constraints. Vice Chair Bohannon stressed the need to protect staff dignity during transitions and to make difficult resource decisions: “It’s important to me that … the people who are part of the transition are treated with dignity and respect.” Some board members asked whether the Virtual Academy could be embedded instead in future alternative‑learning designs; staff said that redesign work is underway but Virtual Academy inclusion in that design had not been considered and would require additional planning.

A motion to “approve the closing of the Virtual Academy school code to institute shifts of virtual instruction” was made by Board Member Crowley and seconded by Board Member Miller. The motion passed 5‑4.

Next steps outlined by staff include scheduling connection meetings with students, parents and principals, beginning preregistration for affected students, and offering placement opportunities to current Virtual Academy staff before the district’s transfer window opens. Officials said enrollment, master scheduling and course offerings will be finalized as part of preparations for the 2025‑26 school year, and that the district expects the net personnel savings to appear in fiscal year 2026.

The board record and staff presentations state that the elementary phase of the Virtual Academy will be phased out over the next two school years and that middle‑ and high‑school virtual instruction will continue in the 6‑12 setting at Winston‑Salem Prep.