ROANOKE, Va. – Virtual education boomed during the pandemic, but now, years later, the popularity continues.
“If we didn’t have a cap, we would continue to enroll every day,” school leader of Virginia Connections Academy Tracey McGee-Moreira said. “We’re up to 750 now, and we have hit our cap this year, and we now have a waitlist already.”
Virginia Connections Academy is a tuition-free public school for middle and high school students. Staff said people are signing up for virtual classes for a variety of reasons whether parents want their child in an untraditional school or they deal with a physical disability.
“Some students have been bullied in the past, and they just don’t feel comfortable coming in,” McGee-Moreira said. “A lot of social anxiety, we have some students that are athletes that need a flexible schedule.”
While pandemic restrictions are behind us, staff said it’s clear the impact they left on the world of education is permanent.
“Virginia having school choice is just such a great opportunity,” McGee-Moreira said. “I feel like all of the students and the teachers, they all come here for a reason.”