PHOTO: Courtesy of WLUK
APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — An increasing number of students are seeing their teachers through screens in the Appleton area.
It follows a nationwide trend, which shows that virtual school enrollment has doubled since pre-pandemic levels.
“It’s kind of fun after a week or two, because you actually get to know your teacher and connect,” said Emmit Van Den Heuvel, an Appleton eighth-grader enrolled in the virtual Wisconsin Connections Academy.
The Appleton Area School District administers the academy, serving 798 students this school year. Enrollment has steadily climbed for four years now, though almost all are open enrolled from areas around the state.
“There’s a lot of anxiety with being in school for a lot of students,” said Wisconsin Connections Academy School Leader Michelle Mueller. “But we have avid athletes, we have students that are looking for more gifted and talented programs, students that need more remediation.”
Wisconsin Connections Academy enrollment:
- 2026-27: 798 students
- 2025-26: 777 students
- 2024-25: 743 students
- 2023-24: 672 students
“What I’m finding out for Connections Academy… is they’re just very supportive,” said Van Den Heuvel’s grandmother Melissa Kelly, who helped decide he would switch to virtual school this year.
Appleton also has a separate eSchool, which serves about 60 students full-time and 574 students part-time last year. Many students attend a conventional school but take one or two classes online. This primarily serves students in the district, though students can enroll in either program.
Virtual schools in the Fox Cities:
- Appleton: Wisconsin Connections Academy (4K-12)
- Appleton: Appleton eSchool (9-12)
- Kaukauna: FlexEDU (K-8)
- Menasha: Fox Valley Virtual School (4K-8)
- Students may open enroll from outside the district into Wisconsin Connections Academy, Kaukauna’s FlexEDU and Fox Valley Virtual
“I think we’ve grown from maybe a niche to a mainstream component of our school district and serving the community,” said Erik Hanson, Dean of Digital Learning at Appleton eSchool.
Appleton virtual schools are decades old
Both the Connections Academy and the eSchool have served students for about 25 years. Administrators say enrollment grew steadily, spiked right after COVID-19 hit and have gradually rebounded with a steady increase in enrollment since.
The virtual schools predate the iPhone, Skype for video calls, and even popular sites like YouTube and Facebook.
Kaukauna launches new virtual school this year
Kaukauna started its new FlexEDU for this school year and already has about 100 students enrolled from around the state.
“This was another area we felt like was a great opportunity for both the district and what families are looking for,” said Kaukauna Area School District Superintendent Mike Slowinski.
Its new school offers families an additional option for schooling while increasing open enrollment, which helps the districts financially. They receive extra funding for any student that open enrolls into a district.
What’s fueling the rise?
Several administrators and Van Den Heuvel all pointed to flexibility.
“Some schools did it where every day at 8 o’clock you had math, everyday at 9 o’clock you had language arts,” said Mueller. “And that’s not what we are, because we’re about that flexibility.”
Added Slowinski: “They want to have the ability to make it flexible and to meet a variety of different family needs.”
Hanson said: “Kids have the flexibility with us in the asynchronous environment to work when it works for them.”
Kelly said the flexibility works well for her grandson.
“Virtuals are a little more flexible I think, and for Emmit as a student it’s been beneficial,” she said.
Schools try to address social aspect, but still can be elusive
For the Wisconsin Connections Academy and Kaukauna’s FlexEDU, having a social component can be a challenge with so many students open enrolled from all around the state. They offer occasional in-person field trips and virtual clubs.
If a student lives locally, he can be involved in clubs in the school district or even play sports for that district’s teams.
“It is good, but then again, in a way it’s bad because I want to be social again, like I’m really shy,” said Van Den Heuvel.
He says overall it’s been a good experience, and if you want to find out for yourself, there are over 1,000 other Fox Valley virtual students you can ask about it.
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