Minnesota Virtual Academy (MNVA), a full-time, tuition-free public-school program of the Houston Public School District is ready to kick off the new school year and give students throughout the state a consistent education option designed to help them reach their full potential. MNVA students and teachers will open their laptops to start the 2021-2022 school year tomorrow, September 7, 2021.

For most families, the new school year comes with cautious optimism. Many families realized during the pandemic that attending school online is a safe alternative that allows them to focus on their child’s future. According to a recent survey by Stride, Inc., 91 percent of parents agree that it’s important for their children to have multiple school options, including full-time online or a hybrid model that blends online and in-person learning. And almost two-thirds of parents would consider full-time online public school after their 2020 pandemic-driven virtual education experience.

Authorized by Houston Public Schools and staffed by state-licensed teachers, MNVA offers a personalized approach to learning, delivering rich, engaging curriculum designed to assist students who seek alternative pathways to education. Despite wide-spread evidence of a “COVID slide” of learning loss for students in the U.S. during the pandemic, Stride K12-powered schools like MNVA reported lower learning loss rates than those reported in national studies. And in some cases, students enrolled in Stride K12-powered schools experienced learning gains.

“We may have seen a COVID slide across the country, but MNVA students operated business as usual and saw incredible success despite such uncertainty,” said MNVA Head of School Kris Abraham. “One thing that we are especially certain about is that our students can achieve even greater success in the new school year!”

Students choose online learning for a variety of reasons, including advanced learning, a bullying-free environment and the flexibility to support extracurricular pursuits or medical needs while maintaining a focus on academics. MNVA’s online platform gives students the opportunity to pursue their academic goals in a supportive environment and at an appropriate pace for their learning style.

Students who attend MNVA also have the opportunity to look to the future. High school students can participate in the Career Prep Program and enroll in classes that will help them discover and explore potential careers in Business, Health & Information Services, Information Technology and Manufacturing & the Trades. Students can also earn college credits while still in high school, giving them a head start in their state and potentially saving them thousands of dollars in college tuition costs.

Minnesota Virtual Academy is still accepting enrollments for the 2021-2022 school year. To learn more about MNVA and how to enroll, visit mnva.k12.com or download the Stride K12 mobile app for iOS and Android devices - where families can enroll, prepare for the first day of school and monitor students’ academic progress throughout the school year.

About Minnesota Virtual Academy

Minnesota Virtual Academy (MNVA) is an online public-school program of the Houston Public School District serving students across the state of Minnesota. MNVA is tuition-free, giving parents and families the choice to access the engaging curriculum and tools provided by Stride, Inc. (NYSE: LRN), the nation’s leading provider of proprietary K-12 curriculum and online education programs. For more information about MNVA, visit mnva.k12.com.

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