JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Duval Virtual Instruction Academy (DVIA) is opening up enrollment again this week to give parents the option to move from in-person learning to online.
The move comes as coronavirus cases continue to rise in the district.
Enrollment will open online Thursday and Friday in the Parent FOCUS Account. The enrollment form will be located under the “Forms” folder.
“We know this has been a challenging time for many of our families as they try to determine the best option for their children amid the pandemic,” said DVIA Principal Mark Ertel. “Transitioning families from brick-and-mortar to our virtual environment is a complex process, and we will continue to work hard to support our families and help students have a great launch into online learning as quickly as possible.”
The school’s principal said the enrollment is opening back up due to the state of the pandemic.
Whether it’s the highly contagious delta variant, the absence of last year’s school-based virtual platform Duval Homeroom, or some other reason, demand for DVIA has never been higher.
According to Florida Department of Education records, enrollment in DVIA appeared to be trending downward before the pandemic with 302 students in 2017, 282 students in 2018 and just 196 students in 2019.
Then, last year, the number of DVIA students exploded to 1,626. When the enrollment deadline closed on Aug. 9 it stood at more than 2,800.
One viewer who didn’t want to be identified said she plans to enroll her daughter in DVIA on Thursday.
“I feel that this whole “wear a mask if you want to” is just not working,” she wrote. “Kids come to school sick with whatever, once they’re at school, they’ve now exposed other kids. This is too much.”
Meanwhile, parents like Agata Gardner said the district should prioritize safe in-person learning rather than forcing parents to choose between a safer or a more effective learning option.
“I think it’s completely unfair to parents who are the majority in a situation where they feel like, because school is unsafe for my child, I am backed into a corner. And my only option is to try to make virtual school work for my kid,” Gardner said. “At the very least what we ask is that the mitigation measures that we know work, that worked last year, will continue to work will are kept in place this year.”
Students who register this week will continue attending their regular school until the district confirms enrollment and sends an orientation email. The district said to expect about 3-to-5 days before that orientation email comes due to high demand.
For more on how to apply, visit the Duval County Public Schools website.