The top reported proficiency rate is 100% in Science. The lowest is 25% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Between the Lakes Virtual Academy
Between the Lakes Virtual Academy is a public charter school serving students from prekindergarten through eighth grade, run by the Kiel Area School District. The school has a physical address in the city of Kiel, Wisconsin, but its model is virtual, meaning instruction is delivered remotely rather than in a traditional classroom. The enrollment is small, with students spread fairly evenly across the elementary and middle grades, though the largest group is in eighth grade. The student body is predominantly white, with small shares of Hispanic students, multiracial students, Black students, and Asian students. A very small share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.
Because this is a virtual school with a small population, its state testing data is thin and should be read with that context in mind. For the 2024-25 school year, results were reported for only a single grade across all subjects tested. In eighth grade, math and English language arts proficiency each hovered around the midpoint mark, while science and social studies results showed the two tested students meeting the state’s proficiency benchmark. Participation rates for those assessments were low, which is a common pattern in virtual settings where in-person test administration can be a logistical challenge. For third through seventh grades, the state suppressed most scores because the number of students tested was too small to report. Overall, the school’s composite proficiency index from the small slice of reportable data fell below the midpoint among districts in Manitowoc County. A parent considering this school would want to discuss directly with the administration how academic progress is assessed and how the school ensures students stay on track, given how little standardized testing data is available.
The school is a charter school, which in this case means it operates within the Kiel Area School District as an alternative to the district’s brick-and-mortar schools. There is no Title I status reported, and the school’s governance and staffing details are not available in the data we reviewed. The Kiel Area School District itself did not show any recent major changes or strategic initiatives in our search, so it is not possible to describe current district-level priorities from the available information.
Kiel is a small city with a manufacturing and commercial history and a noticeable German heritage, reflected in community events such as German Days. The Sheboygan River runs through the downtown area, and the city has parks, walking trails, and a biking trail that connects to nearby New Holstein. The street life is driven by seasonal events like the Kiel Parade and an ice sculpting contest rather than steady commercial foot traffic. Housing values in the area fall somewhat below the statewide benchmark, while national housing costs have risen modestly. The local economy is served by a mix of manufacturing and commercial employers, though specific major employers are not named in the information we found.
For a family considering this school, the main characteristic is the virtual format itself. This is not a school you drive to each morning; it is a remote learning program for elementary and middle school students. The small enrollment and limited testing data mean that traditional metrics of school performance are largely absent. The school may appeal to families who want a public school option with flexibility, who have a reason to avoid a physical school building, or who are comfortable overseeing their child’s education at home. The trade-off is that there is very little public evidence of academic outcomes to evaluate. A parent would want to learn directly from the school how instruction is delivered, how students interact with teachers and peers, and how the school monitors academic progress and addresses any gaps.
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