Dr. Glenn Maleyko

Press Release #60 – Virtual elementary school opens enrollment to non-district students

Screen shot of a teacher and three students during an online lesson.

Press Release #60/June 28, 2022

Wayne County parents interested in virtual school for their elementary school students are now allowed to enroll in Dearborn Public Schools Virtual K-12.

Students will be accepted for the 2022-23 school year as staffing allows.

The Dearborn Public Schools Board of Education approved opening up the elementary portion of the Virtual K-12 to school-of-choice students during the board’s June 20, 2022 meeting.  Other schools in the district are not available for school-of-choice for out of district students because of limited building space in the district.

Dearborn Public Schools Virtual K-12 just completed its first year.  The school launched in the fall of 2021 to serve students and parents who discovered during the pandemic that they preferred online learning.  VK-12 provides online-only education for in-district students in grades kindergarten through high school. Students still must reside with a parent or legal guardian within Wayne County, Michigan to enroll in the elementary school.  Parents considering enrolling their child in the virtual school are encouraged to explore the VK-12 website, including the FAQs, expectations, and self assessment tabs to see if the child and parent are ready for virtual learning.

Currently, school-of-choice for the virtual school is only available to students in kindergarten through fifth grade.

Elementary students enrolled in Virtual K-12 learn in live, online lessons with an elementary school teacher.  They also participate in special classes including gym, music and art.  Parents will be asked periodically to come to Dearborn to pick up supplies, and students will be required to come in for district and state-required assessments. 

Out-of-district parents interested in enrolling their child should visit the district’s Enrollment page to start that process or call Student Services at 313-827-3005 to learn more.

“After a successful first year, we are glad to be able to open our elementary enrollment to students outside of Dearborn Public Schools,” said Virtual K-12 Principal Shannon Peterson.  “If staffing permits, we would be delighted to welcome new students to Virtual K-12, where we truly make school your home.”