When schools around the country closed in March 2020, parents got a glimpse of what life could be like if their children were educated at home. And while “remote schooling” is very different from actual homeschooling, many families liked the experience.
One thing that holds some parents back from homeschooling is the misconception that they have to do it all. Recent polling from EdChoice showed only 39 percent of school parents prefer to have their children learning completely outside the home. A surprising 60 percent would prefer to have their children at home one or more days a week.
Fortunately, there’s a solution for parents who want their children to learn from home part time: hybrid homeschooling. This approach to education was growing even before COVID-19 upended education for families. But the pandemic appears to have helped spur more interest in hybrid homeschooling.
St. John Bosco Academy in Georgia is a hybrid school in the Roman Catholic tradition that was founded in 2009. It offers classes two days a week for PreK‐8th grade and three days a week for high school. When COVID-19 hit, school leaders weren’t sure what to expect.
After the mandatory shutdown in spring 2020, SJBA decided to open as normally as possible in the fall. Julie Wilborn is St. John Bosco Academy’s Director of Finance and one of the school’s founders. She said school leaders prioritized normalcy because that’s what the children needed. Her husband is the medical director at a large hospital and helped guide the school’s policies.
Julie says, “We gave our families freedom to choose. We offered refunds if families weren’t comfortable with our policies. We also gave students the option to work from home full time. We respected everyone’s choices—we just didn’t want them to impose their choices on others.”
An unexpected side effect of SJBA’s policies was an enrollment boom. According to Julie, “Our school was really the only option for local families who wanted a return to normal. Our application pool is up 40 percent. Our teachers were thankful because they wanted to be in the classrooms. All in all, this has really brought our community together in a whole new way.”
Charlotte Wearne has attended St. John Bosco Academy for 10 years. She says it has given her a unique perspective on what school should be. “Hearing from my friends attending traditional schools has made me realize how much more engaging our classes are,” says Charlotte. “We are able to do work at home that enables us to get more out of the lecture since we are only in the classroom three days a week.”
If you’re interested in looking further into hybrid homeschooling, there isn’t a centralized source for options. One place you can start is by checking with local private schools to see if they offer a la carte classes for homeschoolers. Local homeschool groups are also an excellent resource. And a general internet search may show options near you.
If you’re among the 60 percent of parents who would like to have your children home for some part of their education, a hybrid school like St. John Bosco Academy could be the solution.
