Davie County Board votes unanimously to close virtual school amid declining enrollment

The Davie County Board of Education voted unanimously April 15 to close the Davie County Virtual School, citing declining demand and recent state funding changes.

Superintendent Jeff Wallace told the board that the district offered a virtual option after March 2020 and at one point had nearly 800 students enrolled, but that "the demand for virtual setting is continues to decrease in Davie County." He said projections for next year "just isn't there," and that previous grade-level and staff reductions already reflect falling participation.

Wallace said staff reached out directly to affected families. "Mister Brown reached out to every student, and that was actually in and spoken to parents, personal phone call," he said, adding that responses ranged from disappointment to understanding.

Attorney Jill Wilson opened the statutorily required public hearing and noted that no members of the public had signed up to speak; the board then closed the hearing and returned the matter to the business agenda. After brief discussion the board moved and adopted the recommendation to close the virtual school; the motion carried 7-0.

Board members emphasized the difficulty of the decision and said they had tried to preserve options in prior budget discussions. Wallace noted a demographic forecast from 2022 showing a slight decline in enrollment and said funding for 2025–26 will be determined by the state's highest PMR average for the first two months, a change he said affects budget calculations.

The board did not discuss a specific timeline for student transitions in detail at the meeting; members said they and district staff will continue outreach to families and coordinate next steps. The board indicated it will revisit implementation details in upcoming work sessions.

The special call meeting concluded after other business; the board did not record any public opposition during the hearing.