De Soto Virtual School

De Soto Virtual School is one of the tiny combined-grade schools in De Soto, Wisconsin, operated by De Soto Area School District, with 9 students on its rolls from grades K through 12. Enrollment runs roughly 97% below the state mean of about 272.

Within De Soto Area School District, which oversees 5 schools and 440 students, De Soto Virtual School is one campus in the system.

On the student-mix side, De Soto Virtual School reports that 56% of the student body identifies as White; the rest consists of 11% Hispanic, 11% Black, 11% multiracial, 11% Native American. That is considerably less White than the county at large, where the share is closer to 95%.

On the income-and-resources front, De Soto Virtual School reports 0 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 180.0:1. That figure is higher than the state norm's 25.6:1 average. About 56% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, often used as a Title I proxy. Set against Vernon County (around 38%), the school's rate is somewhat above typical.

In the area at large, ACS estimates for Vernon County put median household income runs about $71,893, roughly 25% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 7%. In all, Vernon County runs 23 public schools (combined enrollment of about 3,669 students), of which De Soto Virtual School is one.

The closest other public school is De Soto High, roughly 0.0 miles away. Within five miles, there are 4 other public schools.

De Soto Virtual School operates from a countryside location. De Soto Virtual School is a charter school, which puts it inside the public-school system but outside the standard district-managed model. De Soto Virtual School delivers learning online rather than in a traditional classroom setting.

Looking at the recent track record. Over the past 7-year window, the student count edged down 36%: 14 students in 2018 compared to 9 in 2025. The White share of enrollment decreased from 93% to 56% over that span. The student-to-teacher ratio loosened from 51.9:1 in 2018 to 180.0:1 today.

On the community side, members of the De Soto Virtual School community share and discuss fundraisers, lost-and-found posts, and report-card season. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.