Public Virtual Schools

A Commonwealth of Massachusetts Virtual School (CMVS) is a public school operated by a board of trustees that has been granted a certificate from the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. In a CMVS, teachers primarily teach from a remote location using the Internet or other computer-based methods and students are not required to be located at the physical premises of the school. Each CMVS determines what grade levels it will serve and what particular programs it will offer.

Two CMVS will be operating in Massachusetts during the 2024-25 school year: Greenfield Commonwealth Virtual School (GCVS) and TEC Connections Academy Commonwealth Virtual School (TECCA). Both CMVS enroll students statewide in kindergarten through twelfth grade.

Any student who resides in Massachusetts can apply for admission to a CMVS. If more students apply to a CMVS than there is space available, the school will hold a lottery to determine which students will be admitted. Once admitted to a CMVS, a student is entitled to attend in subsequent years without reapplying.

The school committee of a sending district may vote to restrict enrollment of its students in a CMVS if the total enrollment of students enrolled in the CMVS from the district exceeds 1 percent of the total enrollment in its district. Contact the CMVS directly for enrollment availability.

Both GCVS and TECCA have enrollment policies that describe how to enroll your child. Each school requires an application for enrollment and holds a lottery in cases where the number of applicants exceed the spots available. Each school limits enrollment at each grade level and has an overall enrollment "cap" established by the state. Students who do not get a seat in the lottery for a specific grade will be placed on a waitlist until a space becomes available. For more information about how to enroll your child, contact the CMVS directly.

Contact the CMVS directly by phone or visit their websites to access enrollment information and applications. Click the links below to view contact information, website links, and data for each CMVS:

• Greenfield Commonwealth Virtual School (GCVS)
• TEC Connections Academy Commonwealth Virtual School (TECCA)

A Single District Virtual School (SDVS) is a public school operated by a school district where teachers primarily teach from a remote location using the Internet or other computer-based methods and students are not required to be located at the physical premises of the school.

Seven school districts are operating a SDVS during the 2024-25 school year. For a list of the seven school districts currently operating a SDVS, visit Single District Virtual Schools (SDVS).

A SDVS can only enroll students who live in the single school district operating the virtual school. Students who are not residents of the district may not attend the virtual school.

If you live in one of seven districts currently operating a SDVS, contact your local school district directly for details about the enrollment period. For a list of the seven school districts currently operating a SDVS, visit Single District Virtual Schools (SDVS).

Contact the school district administration office directly for information about enrolling a student in the SDVS. For a list of the seven school districts currently operating a SDVS, visit Single District Virtual Schools (SDVS).

A Parent's Guide to Choosing the Right Online Program can help you determine whether your child is prepared to thrive in an online program.

• The Choosing a School: A Family Guide to Educational Options in Massachusetts will provide more information about the types of educational options that are available to students and families in the Commonwealth.

• The Massachusetts School Finder tool will display all schools for a specific address and grade selection entered into the system. The list of schools generated by the tool may provide a student with potential enrollment preference, even if the school is located farther than the selected distance.

• About Private Virtual Schools