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Virtual academy opens with 12 enrolled; district outlines Chromebook curfews and online‑safety tools
Summary
The FCPS Virtual Academy was funded with $120,000 for 25 slots; staff reported 12 enrolled students and described Chromebook guardrails including nightly curfews, intentional screen‑time guidance, and use of Securly and Gaggle for filtering and safety alerts.
Denise Orndorff, supervisor of instructional technology, gave an update on the FCPS Virtual Academy and technology safeguards. She said the division allocated $120,000 for the program and had set aside 25 slots for full‑time high‑school students; at the time of the meeting 12 students were enrolled across the three high schools. "So as you know $120,000 was allocated for this along with the 25 slots," she said, and staff reported 8 students transitioning from homeschool/private school and 4 from the homebound program.
On devices and online safety, Orndorff described guardrails for intentional classroom technology use and nightly device curfews. "We have implemented nightly curfews for school issued devices, which began August 1," she told the committee. Staff also described Securly (district filtering that applies off‑site) and Gaggle (AI‑assisted monitoring with human review) as tools used to meet CIPA and student‑safety obligations. The committee discussed enrollment windows, prorated funding, and how leftover funds roll forward under standard budget practices.
