Frequently Asked Questions

CFISD Virtual Pathways offer flexible learning options for CFISD students. Students may choose to take some courses online while remaining enrolled at their home campus, or participate in a fully virtual option.

• Full-time Virtual Academy: Students complete all coursework online.
• CFISD Flex Learning: Juniors and seniors may take up to two courses online during the school day in a study hall at school OR they may leave school early or come in late and complete their online courses on their own time.
• Supplemental Courses: Students may take one additional online course outside the regular school day (for acceleration or credit recovery).

All CFISD students as well as new to CFISD students may enroll in virtual courses. Eligibility will be based on alignment with degree plan and counselor approval to ensure students are set up for success.

For the 2026-27 school year, the CFISD Virtual Academy is available for 4th and 5th grade students as well as 9th through 12th grade students. CFISD Flex Learning is available for 11th and 12th grade students. Supplemental courses are available for all high school students.

Yes. Courses are taught by certified CFISD teachers who are trained in online instruction.

Absolutely. Virtual courses follow the same curriculum and standards as traditional in-person courses and count toward graduation and endorsements.

Students will work with their counselor to select courses. Virtual classes will appear on their schedule just like in-person classes.

Students will need a district-issued Chromebook and reliable internet access. CFISD can provide support for students who may not have internet at home.

Virtual students will have access to:

• Teacher office hours and tutorials.
• Academic progress monitoring.
• Staff check-ins.
• Opportunities to participate in extracurricular activities at their home campus.
   

All students are eligible to enroll in Virtual Pathways. Parents/guardians are encouraged to collaborate with home campus staff to determine if specific programs and/or accommodations can be facilitated in a virtual setting. ARD committees will need to meet to review each student's individual needs and determine services and supports for the virtual setting.

Attendance will be based on student participation in online lessons, completion of assignments, and teacher check-ins. State requirements for daily attendance will still apply. Students must log in and complete course work every school day.

Yes. Virtual students can still participate in clubs, sports, and activities at their home campus. We are also exploring virtual student groups and advisory sessions to support connection.

Counselors, teachers, and parents will work together to provide support. Students may access tutorials, wellness check-ins, or transition back to in-person instruction if needed.

Current CFISD Families interested in any of the CFISD Virtual Pathways should complete the Virtual Pathways Initial Inquiry Form to let the Virtual Pathways team and their student’s school counselor know that they are interested. Your student’s CFISD school counselor will follow up with a Parent Permission Form. Once the signed Parent Permission Form is received, the school counselor will complete the needed registration forms for Virtual Pathways on behalf of your student and sign the student up for Virtual Pathways courses that align with your student’s 4-year plan. Confirmation will be sent to parents.
 

Families currently not enrolled in CFISD who are interested in any of the CFISD Virtual Pathways should complete the Virtual Pathways Initial Inquiry Form to let the Virtual Pathways team know they are interested. Next, families should complete the CFISD New Student Registration Process when it opens for 2026-27 in Spring to become a CFISD student. For enrollment in Flex or Supplemental courses, families will work with the high school campus counselor to sign up for courses. For CFISD Virtual Academy, a Virtual Pathways team member will contact you to help select and enroll your student in the appropriate virtual courses. 

Students in the CFISD Virtual Academy will be from home campuses across the entire district, therefore students logging on to join live lessons for the Virtual Academy will be from across all of our CFISD home campuses. Student-to-teacher ratios will remain the same as in-person classes. 

Virtual Pathways teachers will follow the same curriculum that face-to-face campuses follow across the district; however, individual assignments vary by teacher and campus, and may vary further for Virtual Pathways courses, as many assignments will move from paper and pencil to digital.  
 

All students enrolled in Texas public schools are required to take grade-level STAAR and EOC assessments, which measure mastery of the state learning TEKS. STAAR tests are taken in-person at our Virtual Pathways campus.
 

The state of Texas requires that all STAAR and EOC tests be taken in person. Students taking STAAR and/or EOC-tested courses through Virtual Pathways will come to the Virtual Pathways campus to take their test in person. Other assessments will be taken from home while utilizing a proctoring software, which monitors for test-taking integrity while students are testing.
 

Parents may request to meet with Virtual Pathways staff in person just like at any other CFISD campus. 
 

For all fully virtual CFISD Virtual Academy courses, there is a live lesson component. Students are expected to keep their video on and their face on screen during all live lessons. Please refer to Resources on our website, "Launching to Success: Essential Skills for the Virtual Student.”
 

There is no differentiation on a student's transcript between virtual and non-virtual courses. The course content, curriculum, pacing, and rigor of all virtual courses will mirror in-person CFISD courses. 

Supplemental courses will begin the same day as in-person classes, Wednesday, August 12, 2026.

Parents/guardians will receive an email update from the CFISD Virtual Pathways team regarding your status as soon as we confirm the course aligns with your student's graduation plan and seat availability. We will notify you of the decision either way (approved or denied). If your student is accepted, that email will include specific instructions on how to pay via SchoolCash; please note that the payment option will not be available to you until we send this notification. Your student is not officially enrolled until the SchoolCash payment is complete.
 

Continuity of instruction is a priority. All Virtual Pathways courses are a year-long commitment, and we will closely monitor and support students to ensure that Virtual Pathways can meet their needs, partnering with families if circumstances or needs change.   

CFISD will continue to provide transportation to and from student home campuses at the beginning and end of each school day. Students/families who select to take Flex courses off campus will be responsible for providing mid-day transportation for students who choose to arrive late or leave early.

 If transportation is a concern and schedules permit, families may be able to opt to have their students take Flex courses in a supervised setting on their home campus in order to utilize the provided transportation.

Students can add up to two Supplemental Courses each semester to a fully face-to-face schedule, a Virtual Academy schedule, or a Flex schedule. (Note: Most courses last two semesters and are a year-long commitment)

The CFISD Virtual Pathways team reviews each parent permission form, student graduation plan, and selected courses for alignment. You will receive an email from the Virtual Pathways team once your student’s enrollment has been confirmed.

CFISD Flex Learning allows students to spend most of their day attending their home campus while taking up to two courses virtually. If a student qualifies for Flex Learning off-campus and single or double early release, they can apply for and utilize both opportunities to create a flexible schedule.
 

While CFISD Virtual Pathways courses are a year-long commitment, families have the opportunity to return to their brick-and-mortar zoned campus each year. 
 

Students in the CFISD Virtual Academy have the opportunity to participate in UIL and extracurricular activities at their brick-and-mortar home campuses. Families should contact their home campus Director of Instruction with inquiries. 
 

While we do not have virtual summer school opportunities this year, we are exploring this possibility for the future.
 

Students enrolled in the fully virtual CFISD Virtual Academy may attend either the am or pm live lesson for each of their classes. Students may alternate which session they attend each week to provide flexibility. 

Recorded live lessons will be accessible and available to watch and re-watch as needed. 
 

At this time, supplemental courses are available for students classified as 9th-12th grade students. 
 

CFISD Virtual Academy and CFISD Flex courses do not cost Texas resident students any additional tuition or fees. Supplemental courses that are taken outside of the regular school day are tuition-based. CFISD Supplemental Courses cost $295 per semester for students enrolled in CFISD schools and $350 per semester for students enrolled in schools outside CFISD.