Parents, teachers and dozens of supporters press board to keep Virtual Academy as district reviews proposal to close school code

Dozens of parents, students and staff urged the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education on Jan. 14 to keep the district's Virtual Academy open after central-office staff recommended consolidating virtual instruction into existing brick-and-mortar schools.

The recommendation, presented by Chris Weigert, chief human resources officer, would phase the district’s standalone K–8 Virtual Academy into a 6–12 virtual program embedded at Winston-Salem Prep and consolidate other virtual offerings over two years. Weigert told the board the proposal was prompted by falling enrollment at elementary grades and the need to make staffing more sustainable. He said the proposal could reduce an estimated $950,000 in annual local costs, and that an initial staffing estimate includes saving approximately one instructional support position, an assistant principal supplement and about 6.5 teacher positions (estimates subject to final allotments and enrollment).

Why it matters: Supporters said the Virtual Academy is the only option that meets medical, safety and social-emotional needs for many students — including students with disabilities and those who experience bullying — and warned that moving the program would dismantle relationships and services built over five years.

What speakers said - LaJoy Wilson Moore, principal of the Virtual Academy, described the school as a “virtual, synchronous” program that serves students who need alternative placement for medical or social reasons and said staff had developed student government and in-person activities to build community. “We provide the best alternative for staff who are between medical leaves for physical and mental health and provide safe spaces for all students who are between hospital homebound and their residential schools,” she said. - Chris Weigert, chief human resources officer, framed the recommendation as an enrollment- and sustainability-driven change. He said current K–8 enrollment is small in some elementary grades (for example, single-digit applicants for third grade) and that the district must weigh “developmentally appropriate” research for elementary virtual instruction. Weigert said the district projects a consolidated 6–12 virtual program could serve roughly 200–300 students and could reduce underutilized classroom sections. - Parents, students and teachers offered testimony opposing the change. A seventh-grade student at the Virtual Academy said the program gave them safety and improved grades. Parent speakers and a petition with more than 400 signatures urged the board to preserve the school as a distinct program; one teacher said closing the program could end their ability to teach due to medical limitations.

District process and next steps District staff said no final decision was made at the Jan. 14 meeting. Weigert said the district will present a formal action item on Feb. 11 that would close the Virtual Academy school code under state law; that Feb. 11 meeting will include a public hearing mandated by statute before the board votes. Staff said current students already enrolled would not lose access to virtual instruction during an implementation window, and the district would offer placement and preferential consideration to existing Virtual Academy staff for vacancies before opening transfers districtwide.

Clarifying details from the meeting - Estimated recurring local savings mentioned in public comment and staff remarks: $950,000 (stated by commenters and discussed by staff as an estimate). Source: public commenter Allen Daniel and HR presentation. - Staffing estimates discussed by staff: savings include at least 1 instructional-support position, the principal local supplement, about 3 office support positions and roughly 6.5 teacher positions; staff said exact counts depend on final allotments and enrollment. - Enrollment snapshots (month 2 ADM cited by staff): small elementary cohorts (example given: approximately 32 students at 6th grade and single-digit option selections in some 3rd-grade cohorts), and the district projected a 6–12 consolidated program of roughly 200–300 students depending on choices. - Wait-list and capacity: presenters said there were waiting-list numbers but that capacity is uneven by grade; district staff said limited staffing in certain grade bands constrained admitting all wait-listed applicants.

Discussion points raised by board members and public Board members pressed staff on placement options, timelines, how medical and special-education needs would be served if the school code closed, and what steps the district would take to prioritize current staff for openings. Parents and teachers pressed for alternative cost savings and for external funding sources rather than closure. Several board members asked staff to provide comparative achievement and attendance data for Winston-Salem Prep and Cook to assess how embedding virtual programs could affect those schools’ metrics.

Meeting context and implementation risk The proposal drew substantial public comment—more than a dozen speakers representing families, students and staff—and extended board discussion. Staff described the implementation as medium to high risk because it requires changing a school code (which requires a public hearing and a final board vote), numerous staffing reassignments, and transitions for students with individualized education programs.

What the board did on Jan. 14 No vote to close the school code occurred on Jan. 14. Board members set the next formal step: a public hearing and possible action on Feb. 11. Staff said they would notify families directly and host connection meetings for families, and they will prepare an implementation plan and staffing timeline if the board votes to close the school code.

Ending note Speakers on both sides asked the board to weigh program sustainability against the specialized needs of students who rely on the Virtual Academy. The board scheduled the Feb. 11 public hearing to collect additional formal public comment before taking any final vote.