Letter from Our Executive Director

Dear Wyoming Virtual Academy Students and Parents,

Welcome to a new year at Wyoming Virtual Academy. For those of you who are new to our school, WYVA is a statewide virtual education program hosted by Niobrara County School District No.1.

Our main office is located in Lusk, Wyoming, and we have students supported by state certified teachers and administrators located across the state in basically every county.

Wyoming Virtual Academy is the product of a partnership between three entities – the Wyoming Department of Education (which provides oversight and funding), Niobrara County School District No. 1 (which provides oversight, certified teachers, and other educational services), and the national corporation K12 (which provides administrative oversight, curriculum, computer hardware, and other technical and educational support services).

WYVA provides a fully accredited, state-funded, and state-approved educational program for all students in grades K-12. Successful completion of our high school program leads to a full high school diploma issued by Niobrara County School District and Wyoming Virtual Academy leading to any post-secondary college, university, trade school, or other programs. Each year, WYVA graduates apply for and obtain college scholarships and entrance into a number of post-secondary programs. We offer high school AP classes, concurrent enrollment, and other opportunities for advanced learning. You will find our state-certified teachers to be exceptional instructors, our curriculum to be world-class in the online setting, and every opportunity to gain a strong education, all while working from home. All WYVA students follow curriculum guided by state standards and participate in all state required testing (such as WY-TOPP). In addition, we offer a Career Readiness Program with multiple Pathways leading to certifications and other post-high school career opportunities.

I will be serving as the WYVA Executive Director this year (overseeing all WYVA operations and all grades). Jennifer Copeland will be our High School Principal directly supporting grades 9-12. Lisa Williams will serve as our Elementary School Principal supporting grades K-6 and the Middle School Principal for grades 7-8. Our main office in Lusk is supervised by our longtime Operations Manager, Kristen Stauffer. Taylor Wagstaff is our Special Education Director providing support to students requiring special services along with Kelly Bilbrey as the Associate Special Education Director. Christina Jewett is our Career Readiness Program Coordinator and Jeanie Stukey is our Counselor in the high school. Please reach out to any of us or your Homeroom Teachers with any questions or concerns as the year progresses.

Welcome to WYVA and a great new year of learning! Best regards, 

Dr. Joe Heywood

Executive Director – Wyoming Virtual Academy