Enrollment in Sitka’s homeschool program is down from its peak at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it’s up slightly from pre-pandemic years.
Jamie Eells is REACH homeschool coordinator for the Sitka School District. In a presentation to the Sitka School Board on December 3, Eells said the program took a hit between 2017 and 2020 at a time when it was not well supported by the district.
“And so what happened was our student allotment dropped significantly compared to other homeschool programs around the state, and we saw a mass exodus of students that went to other programs,” Eells said. “We see a very large jump in the 2021 school year, when things were just a little abnormal. And then you’ll see now that we’re kind of petered and sitting in that 50 to 60 range [of full-time students]”
Eells said on average the REACH program serves 100 students a year in a variety of capacities, from offering cultural education and field trips to tutoring and credit recovery. This year, REACH has also implemented an online course program for 6th through 12th grade, called Edgenuity.
“They have built in tutoring for students to help them be more successful, and the tutoring comes as part of the courses. And they have wonderful Alaska hours,” she said. “They’re available from 8am to 9pm Monday through Friday. And these are certified teachers across the nation that work for this program.”
Eells said her goal is never to pull students out of brick and mortar schools, but said the homeschool program can offer opportunities to students while keeping them enrolled in the district. She said that, on average, 25% of Sitka High School students take a REACH course over their 4 years. And she’s often asked why that is.
“Sometimes the class that a student needs is just not available due to the other classes that they need. Some students want an independent study, something that is not offered, [or] a credit recovery,” Eells said. “Some students also want to fast track credits. They want to get ahead. They want to graduate early.”
When a board member asked about standardized testing, Eells noted that in Alaska, families can opt out. She said that’s one reason why it’s important for homeschool students to be a part of a program, like REACH.
“In the state of Alaska, you can also homeschool independently, meaning nobody watches over your students. Nobody is monitoring what they’re doing,” Eells said. “If a student or family chooses to opt out of testing, they are still submitting work to me at least four times a year, and I’m able to monitor that the progress that they’re making, so that I can have conversations with families if they are falling behind, or if I’m concerned about anything, because we cannot force them to take assessments. I always encourage it.”
Eells said 20 students have graduated from Sitka’s homeschool program since 1996- eight of those since she took over the program several years ago. You can view Eels full presentation here.
