Making Sustainable Virtual Programs a High-Value Part of the District Strategy
Virtual programs can help districts serve more students, providing greater flexibility and expanded access to courses. But designing a sustainable, high-quality virtual school takes a lot more than an online curriculum. Districts also need to think about staffing, student support, state requirements, enrollment, and communication—not to mention a solid plan for keeping students on track.
Alabama’s Jefferson County Schools (JEFCOED) has built just that. The 35,000-student district has made in-district virtual learning a key lever to support more students whose needs may not fit a traditional school model. Jefferson County Virtual Academy, a tuition-free K–12 virtual school, is supported by Edmentum’s EdOptions Academy and led by Dr. Walter Gonsoulin, AASA’s 2025 National Superintendent of the Year.
In the webinar Choice That Delivers: How Virtual Options Drive District Enrollment, Dr. Gonsoulin and Deputy Superintendent Dr. Orletta Rush shared advice for other district leaders looking to build sustainable, rigorous virtual learning programs. Here’s what we learned.
Listen to Families and Build Virtual Learning Around Real Needs
JEFCOED did something that many districts overlook when they’re building a new program: they listened. And through the focus groups and town halls, it became clear that the district simply wasn’t offering enough flexibility. Families wanted more options, and that feedback gave the district a better view of how a virtual option could help.
But virtual learning clearly couldn’t be designed for one narrow type of student. As Rush put it, “We can't reach every student in the same way.”
Some students needed a flexible schedule because of athletics or medical circumstances. Some wanted to graduate early or needed alternative academic options. Some had IEPs and 504 plans. The initial questions had to be about unmet needs:
- Who is considering homeschooling or looking elsewhere, and why?
- Where are students running into barriers with schedules or learning environments?
- What are families asking for that the district doesn’t currently provide?
Hold Virtual Programs to the Same Standards as Traditional Models
Flexibility doesn’t mean lower expectations. Jefferson County Virtual Academy receives a state report card just like the district’s brick-and-mortar schools. Its students are also subject to the same state academic requirements, assessments, graduation expectations, and athletic rules.
“You can have a virtual school, but it has to be one of quality,” Gonsoulin explained. “Just having a virtual school to say you're having it, that's not enough.”
When Alabama implemented requirements under its Literacy and Numeracy Acts, JEFCOED had to determine how those mandates applied to students learning virtually. The district worked with Edmentum and state officials to ensure teachers had the appropriate credentials and students received the required support. It also added reading and math coaching for an additional layer of support.
Some responsibilities, however, still require an in-person solution. District staff have traveled to Huntsville to administer Alabama’s ACAP assessment to virtual students who live farther away. Career and technical education students may complete introductory coursework online but return to district facilities for hands-on experiences such as welding. Athletics brought another consideration. JEFCOED worked with Edmentum to make sure coursework met eligibility requirements and ultimately gained NCAA approval for the virtual academy.
Build Student Support Into the Virtual Program Model
Virtual learning brings students more independence, but they can’t be left to manage everything themselves. JEFCOED keeps a close eye on grades and maintains communication among teachers, counselors, students, and families. “When we see those grades taking a dip, that's an automatic communication with that parent,” said Rush.
The academy’s support structure includes a principal, counselor, special education support, and instructional coaches. The district also uses enrollment expectations and a rubric to determine whether a virtual setting is likely to be a good fit for each learner interested in enrolling. They don’t want the community to see the academy as a solution for any student who has struggled elsewhere; the goal is to put students in learning environments where they can truly succeed.
Support the Staffing and Operational Work
Virtual learning may happen online, but its success often depends on the work of the local people and processes behind it. JEFCOED supports the program with a principal, counselor, special education, reading and math expertise, and staff responsible for testing, devices, records, and family communication. After the first year, the district further refined those processes, requiring device checkout, enrollment, records, communication, and other operational details to follow established timelines.
“We have everything down to a finite detail,” Rush explained. “When we're going to do it, how we're going to do it, and we stick to that—not to the point where we're inflexible, but to the point where we're productive.”
Use Virtual Learning to Boost Enrollment and Student Retention
Virtual learning can play a key role in a district’s enrollment strategy. As families gain more options through charter schools, private schools, homeschooling, vouchers, and other alternatives, flexibility becomes an integral part of the choice conversation, and Gonsoulin has seen the outcomes of the virtual academy firsthand.
- One of the virtual academy’s top graduates transferred in from a highly regarded private school because she wanted greater access to dual-enrollment courses.
- It helped a family that was homeschooling three children and struggling to manage the curriculum and instruction alone.
- Students from outside the district soon began to enroll as well, including competitive hockey players whose travel made traditional schedules a challenge.
In a wide range of circumstances, the virtual academy offered something the families weren’t finding anywhere else. “If you have a quality virtual school,” Gonsoulin noted, “then you can compete and children will choose you.”
The Importance of Having the Right Partner
“We have enough on our plate as it is to fill the positions in all of our brick-and-mortar building,” Rush shared, but teacher staffing for the virtual academy is not on her plate because Edmentum handles it. The partnership has allowed the district to focus on local leadership and student services, rather than having to build an entire virtual teaching workforce from scratch, and that’s been especially valuable amid teacher shortages.
Gonsoulin underscored that sentiment when he was asked what advice he’d give districts considering building a virtual program entirely on their own. “Do not try to do this alone.”
A district has to account for staffing, curriculum, interventions, state requirements, testing, athletics, student support, technology, enrollment, and dozens of operational details that may not be obvious at the outset, he said, and it was a relief to have meaningful support. “The really heavy work was already done because we were partnering with an expert group that already knew what to do.”
Build Enrollment and Communication Into the Strategy
For a virtual program to succeed, students need to know it exists. JEFCOED generally opens enrollment twice a year and begins communicating 4 to 6 weeks before applications open, using social media, school websites, videos, text messages, and community events to explain the program to families. Edmentum has also supported outreach and recruitment, particularly beyond the district.
The district pairs that structure with flexibility. When a student’s circumstances change outside the normal enrollment window, leaders consider whether entering the virtual academy would set that student up for success and can make exceptions on a case-by-case basis. That balance gives families a clear process without making the program unnecessarily rigid.
Create Virtual Programs That Are Built to Last
JEFCOED’s virtual academy serves students who want to accelerate, students who need scheduling flexibility, families considering other educational options, and students whose circumstances make a traditional school day difficult. It wouldn’t succeed if it were simply an online collection of courses. It works because it provides what students need, and it keeps them connected to their public schools.
The model also has to be financially sustainable. Gonsoulin said JEFCOED receives roughly $1.6 million to $1.7 million in foundation funding connected to about 250-plus virtual students. Because the cost of Edmentum’s program is lower than that total, the district has been able to reinvest some of the remaining funds in additional staffing, including special education teachers and counseling, to expand the range of support students can access through the virtual academy.