Walton County School District - Distance Learning Application

Distance Learning (GAVS) Spring 2025 Semester

Distance learning for the Spring 2025 Semester will be offered to students in grades 9-12.
The Walton County School District will not offer distance learning options for students in grades pre-k through 8.**

Please read the following information carefully prior to completing the online enrollment application.

Important Distance Learning Information for School Year 2024-25 - Spring Semester

•  All courses will be administered free of charge through Georgia Virtual School (GaVS).
• GaVS courses require daily participation Monday through Friday.
• GaVS is an online instructional program affiliated with the Georgia Department of Education that offers over 100 courses in language arts, math, science, social studies, world languages and electives.
• AP courses are available online through this program.
• Each course is taught by a certified teacher hired by the Georgia Department of Education.
• Students enrolled in digital learning will not be assigned to or instructed by WCSD teachers.

In order to be successful in the GaVS program, students must be motivated, organized, self-disciplined and supported. Parents should consider the student's overall academic abilities. Parent involvement is also key to successful distance learning as students will need parental assistance during the distance learning school day.

To enroll in distance learning, a student must meet the district’s eligibility requirements and have reliable internet access. Since the district is utilizing GaVS, students will be required to commit to distance learning for extended periods of time and will not be able to return in person without penalty. Early withdrawal will result in fees to the parent/guardian, as described below.

Academic Eligibility Requirements*

• Students in grade 9 must have earned all A's and B's for two prior school years including the first semester of 2024-25.
• Students in grades 10-12 must have a GPA of 85 or higher to include the first semester of 2024-25. 

Time Commitment

• High school students must commit to a full semester (January-May)
  • The registration deadline for the second semester (Spring) of the 2024-25 school year is December 1, 2024. After December 1, 2024 high school students will not be able to opt into distance learning until the first semester of the 2025-26 school year. 

Withdrawal Information

• Students wishing to withdraw from a GaVS course must do so within the first 10 days of the course start date to avoid repaying substantial tuition fees to the district.
• Students withdrawing after the first 10 days will be responsible for repaying WCSD $500 per course dropped.
• WCSD cannot guarantee that high school students will be able to complete credits within the same school year upon returning to their home school.

Other Important Considerations

• Every student, regardless of grade level, will be expected to adhere to the school GaVS academic calendar which may differ from the WCSD academic calendar.
• Students will be expected to follow the WCSD Student Code of Conduct.
• Reliable internet access is required to participate in digital learning, and a district-issued device is available for each student.
• Sharing devices is not recommended, as all students will be required to complete coursework during the day. Each student participating in digital learning is strongly encouraged to have their own district-issued device.
• Students will be held accountable for the acceptable use of WCSD devices and associated technologies through Student Code of Conduct item 2.11 Inappropriate Use of Technology.
• Students will also be held accountable for damages to their WCSD-issued device through Student Code of Conduct item 2.13 Destruction of Property ($500 or less).
• In order to utilize a WCSD-issued Chromebook. Parents must purchase a $20 protection plan per device in order to take home a WCSD-issued Chromebook.

Acknowledgment of Understanding Consideration

As the parent or guardian of the named student(s), I am requesting that Walton County School District enroll my student(s) in the full-time digital/distance learning platform. I have read and considered all communicated factors and acknowledge the limitations and restrictions this choice imposes. I further acknowledge that:

• I am entering my high school student(s) into a semester-long commitment to participate in Georgia Virtual School.

*Please note that no exceptions to the academic eligibility requirements will be made. Please ensure that each student meets the requirements highlighted above prior to submitting an application.

** Due to changes in the Georgia Virtual School format, Walton County School District will no longer offer Distance Learning courses for Students in grades Pre-K through 8.