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Deeper Learning Virtual Academy 

 

Application and Lottery Process

Board Approved on 04/10/2025

Click to Fill Out an Application

 
  • Admission Requirements
 
  1. Deeper Learning Virtual Academy is open to all students of the West Allis-West Milwaukee School District as well as students applying through the Wisconsin Inter-District Open Enrollment process. Application to and attendance at Deeper Learning Virtual Academy is voluntary and no tuition is charged. Students who do not wish to attend or are not admitted to Deeper Learning Virtual Academy can attend their resident district schools or seek enrollment in another West Allis-West Milwaukee District school.
 
  1. Parents and/or guardians apply online. Applications can be submitted at any time, but enrollment is only open during the dates listed below. The DLVA Governance Board also reserves the right to open the enrollment at any time. Below are definitions for the key terms used in this policy.
    1. Application for admission: a form indicating a parent’s interest in enrolling their student at our school. An application must be submitted before a student may be considered for enrollment. The application is available on the school’s webpage. 
    2. Enrollment: a student officially joining the roster of the school to receive instructional services on and after the student’s start date. A student must be enrolled before they can start receiving instructional services.
    3. Start date: the day on which a student formally begins receiving instructional services at the school. A student must be prepared to follow directions to receive instruction on the start date.
  • Enrollment for the fall 25-26 semester closes on Friday, October 24, 2025, at 11:59 pm.
  • Interested parents and guardians may submit applications for admission for the spring 25-26 semester until January 20, 2026.
  • After January 20, 2026, DLVA will still accept applications, but those applications will be for the 26-27 school year.
  • The official start date for all students who enroll for the spring semester is January 28, 2026.
  • Enrollment closes for the 25-26 school year on January 20, 2026.
  • Applications for admission for the 26-27 school year open on January 21, 2026.
 
  1. A lottery will be employed if the number of applicants exceeds the available positions. 
 
  1. Students may enroll and attend Deeper Learning Virtual Academy during the school year as space permits in accordance with these guidelines until an enrollment period ends or until the school has reached its maximum enrollment cap. The DLVA Governance Board reserves the right to open or alter the enrollment policy based on evolving priorities and circumstances.
    1. Students who are in their fourth cohort year (e.g. seniors or 12th-graders) may not enroll in Deeper Learning Virtual Academy after the closing of the fall enrollment period. This ensures that students in their final year of high school have the best opportunity to learn in a consistent manner, supported by staff with whom they have had the opportunity to build lasting relationships.
  2. Students who violate the participation policy of the Deeper Learning Virtual Academy may be reassigned to their designated district school in accordance with Wisconsin state statutes. 
    1. West Allis-West Milwaukee student will not be moved back to their zoned district school starting March 6th. Students in violation of the participation policy will start the 26-27 school year at their schools. 
  3. Students who have been removed from Deeper Learning Virtual Academy due to violation of the participation policy must show a year of successful academic growth before they will be allowed to re-enroll with DLVA.
    1. A year of successful academic growth for grades 6-8 is defined as earning a passing grade in each scheduled class for a full academic year starting from the date the student was removed.
    2. A year of successful academic growth for grades 9-12 is defined as earning no fewer than 7 credits.
 

25-26 School Year

Fall Semester

Spring Semester**

Application window

Feb. 1, 2025 - Oct. 24, 2025***

Oct. 25, 2025 - Jan. 20, 2026****

Enrollment window

Aug. 25, 2025 - Oct. 24, 2025

Jan. 5, 2026 - Jan. 27, 2026

Start date*

Sept. 2, 2025 - Oct. 24, 2025

Jan. 28, 2026 - Jan 30, 2026
 

* Due to potential delay caused by automation and processing of applications, applications received within 7-calendar days of the Fall and Spring semester deadlines will be given consideration. An application received during this grace period will require approval from the DLVA Governance Board.

** Students who are in their fourth cohort year (e.g. seniors or 12th-graders) may not enroll in Deeper Learning Virtual Academy after the closing of the fall enrollment period. This ensures that students in their final year of high school have the best opportunity to learn consistently, supported by staff with whom they have had the opportunity to build lasting relationships. 

*** Applications must be submitted by June 31, 2025. After that, applications will still be accepted if there are available openings. However, if the number of applicants exceeds the available seats, applications submitted after June 31st will be subject to a lottery. 

**** Applications must be submitted by December 31st. After that, applications will still be accepted if there are available openings. However, if the number of applicants exceeds the available seats, applications submitted after June 31st will be subject to a lottery. 

 
  • Lottery Process for Deeper Learning Virtual Academy
 
  1. Enrollment at Deeper Learning Virtual Academy will be accepted as listed below. The maximum enrollment number for the school will not exceed an advisory teacher to student ratio of 1:45. Once that limit is reached, all enrollment will freeze and additional applications will be waitlisted.  
 
  1. Once a student is enrolled into Deeper Learning Virtual Academy the student is automatically re-enrolled for the next school year until the end of the student’s 12th-grade year. The student does not have to go through the lottery process each year.
    1. If a student moves out of the West Allis-West Milwaukee School district, the student remains enrolled with DLVA unless/until:
      1. the student is removed due to violation of the participation policy;
      2. DLVA receives a records request from the student’s new school.
    2. A student enrolled into DLVA must adhere to a.) the open-enrollment participation policy and/or b.)the school’s participation policy, depending on whether the student is open-enrolled into the district through the Wisconsin Inter-District Open Enrollment process or a resident of the WAWM School District. Failure to abide by the participation policy will result in DLVA removing a student back to their resident school district.
      1. If a student enrolls into DLVA through the Wisconsin Inter-District Open Enrollment process, DLVA notifies the resident district upon removal of that student due to violation of the participation policy. DLVA removes the student from enrollment upon confirmation of the removal with a.) the family, b.) the resident school district, and/or c.) the resident school (e.g. through records request, etc.)
      2. If a student enrolls into DLVA from within the WAWM School District, DLVA notifies the resident school and coordinates the transfer through the WAWM Enrollment Center.
 
  1. A student who withdraws and later wishes to enroll again will have to reapply and will have no priority over students applying for the first time.
    1. A student removed for violating the participation policy is not eligible for enrollment until they can demonstrate a year’s worth of academic progress in another educational institution, per the participation policy (see above).
 
  1. Siblings of current DLVA students will receive enrollment priority and will be exempt from the lottery if seats are available. 
    1. Current students at DLVA include anyone currently enrolled.
    2. Priority enrollment for siblings of current students is contingent upon seat availability; new seats will not be opened for applicants based on having a sibling already enrolled in DLVA.  
 
  1. If more applicants apply than the number of seats available, the additional applicants will be placed on a waiting list in the order in which their applications were received. The waiting list does not roll over from year to year.
 
  1. The DLVA Governance Board has the authority to accept more students than what has been outlined above. 
 
  1. Students must be enrolled or open-enrolled in the West Allis-West Milwaukee School District before being eligible to enroll at Deeper Learning Virtual Academy.
    1. Families are encouraged to complete the application for enrollment with DLVA, at which point the WAWM School District receives and vets the application to determine eligibility for enrollment at DLVA.
 
  1. Special needs of students will be met according to the goals of their IEP (Individualized Education Program). School placement is determined by the recommendation of the IEP team. Deeper Learning Virtual Academy will provide needed special education services as appropriate. 
 
  1. If a lottery is necessary, the lottery will be announced and open to the public. The school leader will perform the lottery, and it will be part of Deeper Learning Virtual Academy’s school record. 
 
  1. Procedures for a lottery are:
    1. Students’ names will be listed on a roster in alphabetical order. Students will be assigned a number in the order of the names. 
      1. An automatic number generator will be used to draw names.
    2. Numbers will be drawn for the available seats. The order in which they are selected will be documented for viewing at the meeting. Students will be placed on the waiting list in the order they were drawn.