Virtual academy draws nearly half of district’s students

RALEIGH, NC (AP) — Nearly half of the students in North Carolina’s Wake County have signed up for the school district’s virtual academy to avoid in-person instruction this fall.

The Raleigh News & Observer reported Tuesday that the Wake Virtual Academy received 78,792 applications, far exceeding expectations.

The Wake County school board plans to discuss Tuesday whether it will still reopen schools or switch to online learning for all 161,907 students.

Some parents and teachers want online classes only for safety reasons as the coronavris pandemic continues. But other families say the high demand for the virtual academy should make it easier to reopen schools for remaining students.