History of HCVA

2019-2020 Year 1

The Hawkins County Virtual Academy launched in August 2019. Fifty students successfully completed the program in the 2019-2020 school year. Grades 3-12 were served the first year. During the first year, 8 seniors graduated from the HCVA program. All graduates successfully transitioned to either military, TCAT or local colleges.

2020-2021 Year 2

In July 2020, the Hawkins County Board of Education approved moving the enrollment cap from 50 students to 120 students. Enrollment opened to grades K-12 for the 2020-2021 school year. In August 2020 a coordinating teacher was hired to assist with the program. The coordinating teacher provides administrative support, weekly progress monitoring, records student attendance, provides local technical support, and provides in-person and virtual tutoring. During the 2nd year of operation, over ninety students were enrolled K-12. Approximately fifteen students graduated from the HCVA. Due to the COVID pandemic, the HCVA staff assisted with district eLearn students as well as the HCVA students.

2021-2022 Year 3

2021-2022 was the third year of HCVA operation. However, the 21-22 school year marked the first year in operation as a freestanding school recognized by the state. The first two years of operation fell under the state guidelines as a virtual “program”. The Tennessee Department of Education released new virtual school guidance in May 2021 in response to COVID school closures and at-home virtual programs. This guidance affected the ability for the HCVA to operate as it had in the past. One of the major impacts of the new guidance was that students were no longer allowed to be enrolled at their zoned school of record. The Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association also released new guidance that allowed students to play sports at the zoned school while being enrolled in a virtual school. The HCVA held full-capacity enrollment of 120 seats and maintained a waiting list for the 21-22 school year.

2022-2023 Year 4

The Hawkins County Virtual Academy is in the fourth year of operation. The school currently serves approximately 120 students in grades K-12. The State Department of Education initiated a new monitoring process during the 2022-2023 school year. The HCVA scored a 93% on the monitoring process and continues to provide Hawkins County families a high-quality virtual school choice.