HUTTO – While many Texas school officials say students have just started recovering from the negative effects of COVID-induced virtual classes, Hutto Independent School District has introduced a program that embraces learning from home.
“We have students who are elite athletes doing sports and an eight-hour school day wasn’t working for them,” said Kelly Hong, HISD instructional technology coordinator. “We also have students who want an alternative environment for learning, working students and students who may be dualenrolled in college courses.”
River Horse Academy Principal Drew MacConnaughhay said the program also benefits students with social anxieties.
“If apprehension is keeping students from the classroom, we want to provide for those students, or students who are medically fragile for any other reason. This makes it easier for students to continue with their education without pausing,” he said.
Students in grades sixth through ninth enroll in a hybrid program of part remote learning and part in-school classes.
Students in grades 10-12 can choose hybrid or completely remote classes. Students can still participate in all extra-curricular teams and activities.
The remote coursework can be done anytime during the day, at the student’s convenience.
Students report to their home campus for in-person classes such as physical education, fine arts and advanced courses.
Caina Cooper enrolled daughter Casey in the Hutto Virtual Academy to help balance her life. Casey is a dedicated gymnast who spends 20-25 hours a week practicing in the gym.
“She’s learned so much, how to get homework done, how to set priorities and that her dream of collegiate gymnastics is attainable thanks to Hutto Virtual Aademy,” said Caina Cooper.
Hong said each student has a teacher that acts as a mentor and academic advisor to help them with time management and any other problems with the new courses.
“Something unique about Hutto ISD’s Virtual Academy is we do cater to our kids, get to know them well, what their needs are and do what we can to make sure they’re successful,” she said.
The program launched with 22 students in the current 20222023 school year, but interest has grown.
“The demand is increasing now that the word is out. Fifty to 60 students would be ideal.
The more we can get, the more teachers we would be able to place in that virtual learning role,” MacConnaughhay said.
The program is open to indistrict students as well as those outside the district. The enrollment process starts with a transfer application, available at www.Hipponation.org/virtual. On April 21 is the last day to register for the 2023-2024 school year.
Not all students will be accepted, MacConnaughhay says.
“They have to be an independent learner, self sufficient, goal oriented. That’s very important.
The student has to be pretty self-reliant.”
Good attendance, grades, behavior, assessment testing and extenuating circumstances all go into the decision whether a student would be a good candidate.
“One thing we all learned from COVID is you don’t need brick and mortar,” said MacConnaughhay. “We adapted and learned how to work from home. We’ll always have buildings and traditional class but this is definitely going to be a staple in education moving forward.”
