Virtual Career Schools: $1 billion revenue growth meets mixed student results

Revenue from middle and high school career learning programs at Stride Inc. topped $1 billion in fiscal year 2026, a 19% increase from the previous year. The company, which has provided virtual education since 2000, now manages more than 50 online secondary schools that offer career programs. For a publicly traded firm that has expanded its career-oriented offerings in recent years, the financial growth is stark against a backdrop of varied student outcomes.

Stride operates schools like the Alabama Destinations Career Academy and the Idaho Technical Career Academy. In Idaho, Mileka Hager enrolled in 2023 after enduring online harassment and dropping grades at her public high school. She selected the business track and attended live online classes for four hours a day in core subjects and marketing. She earned eight professional certifications, a rate that matches the 61% of students at her school who earned industry-recognized credentials in 2024-25. By contrast, the Idaho state average for such credentials is 7%.

In Alabama, Cori Space attended the Alabama Destinations Career Academy for her sophomore year while managing celiac disease. Her mother, Hilary Space, reported that staff never discussed enrolling Cori in a career path. Cori attended live class for only two hours twice a week and typically finished homework in under an hour. Hilary Space described the school days as "concerningly short" and stated, "To be honest, I don’t really understand why ALDCA is considered a career readiness program."

Stride spokesperson Brooke Gabbert defended the company's approach, noting that many students enroll midyear and are academically behind. She said the company monitors students through assignment completion, course performance, and participation. "This variation is by design, not a gap in outcomes," Gabbert said. She added that some students take career courses to satisfy elective requirements rather than to pursue a full career path.

Oversight varies by state. In Idaho, private online schools must operate as public charters with nonprofit boards and face five-year reviews by the Idaho Division of Career Technical Education. In Alabama, a 2015 law allows local districts to contract directly with private entities, giving local boards considerable latitude in designing virtual schools. One county superintendent told the Alabama Political Reporter in 2020 that there has never been enough oversight of these schools.

At the Wisconsin Destination Career Academy, which has 750 students, teachers set up job shadows and ship practice kits for coursework. Students in health sciences use blood-typing or suture materials to demonstrate mastery over live video. However, Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction reports that only 16 students earned an industry-recognized certification between 2021-22 and 2024-25. Stride officials dispute this number, stating that more than 500 students have earned certifications. The school’s 2024-25 academic growth score placed it in the bottom 10% of state high schools.

Elly Krawinkel, who entered the Wisconsin academy as a junior in 2023 with ADHD and social anxiety, graduated last May with no industry credentials or work-based credits. Her mother, Heather Krawinkel, said teachers were responsive, but Elly’s anxiety kept her out of most activities. Carol Corbett Burris, executive director of the Network for Public Education, said she worries online programs are becoming dumping grounds for struggling students. Burris said, "To me, if a child has social anxiety, the school should be working with the family to overcome that anxiety so they can have a rich and fulfilling adult life."