Original Research by School Decision on Virtual Campus
Virtual Campus is a public high school serving grades nine through twelve within the Des Moines Independent Community School District. As its name signals, the school delivers instruction online, setting it apart from the district’s traditional brick-and-mortar high schools. It is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, and operates as a full-time virtual program for high school students.
The student body is diverse. White students make up roughly half of the enrollment, with Hispanic students representing just over a quarter. Black students, Asian students, and students identifying as two or more races each account for smaller shares. A substantial majority of students come from low-income households, based on the share who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Information on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the data provided, so those parts of the student profile remain unclear from this record.
Academic performance comes from state assessments for a single recent school year. In English language arts, about half of students met the proficiency benchmark. In math, the proportion was significantly lower, at about a quarter of students. In science, just over a third were proficient. Because only one year of data is available, no trend can be assessed. A parent considering this school may want to discuss these results directly with the school to understand how they compare to other high schools in the district or to state averages, as that comparative data was not part of this report.
As a high school serving grades nine through twelve, a graduation rate would normally be a central measure, but that information was not available. The same is true for chronic absenteeism, a metric especially relevant for a virtual school where engagement and attendance patterns differ from traditional settings. These gaps may reflect the nature of a virtual program, but a family should inquire further with the school. Information on course offerings, Advanced Placement, or dual-credit opportunities was also absent from the data we reviewed.
The school’s administrative address is in Des Moines, Iowa’s capital and most populous city. Des Moines functions as a major center for insurance and financial services, anchored by large employers such as Principal Financial Group and Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. The city offers extensive parkland and trail networks, and its civic and cultural landmarks include the Iowa State Capitol, the Des Moines Art Center, and the Iowa State Fairgrounds. Because Virtual Campus is an online program, students are not tied to a physical campus, and their relationship to the city’s resources depends on individual circumstances and any in-person events the school may organize.
The enrollment is a moderate size for a high school grade band. Students are spread across all four high school grades, with the upper grades holding a somewhat larger share. The virtual format may appeal to students who need flexibility for work or family responsibilities, who prefer self-paced learning, or who have not found success in a conventional classroom setting. At the same time, the assessment results, particularly in math and science, are modest, and families should explore what academic support and intervention structures the school provides.
With the data available, it is not possible to position Virtual Campus relative to other high schools in Polk County on key measures such as proficiency, graduation, or absenteeism. The picture is partial: a diverse, low-income student body, a set of single-year assessment results, and several standard metrics missing. Families interested in this program will want to gather more detailed information from the school about student outcomes, the online learning platform, teacher support, and the range of courses available to gauge whether it fits their student’s needs.
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