Originally published on Cadillac News – September 19th, 2023
MESICK — In 2016, when the Highpoint Virtual Academy in Mesick was formed, Head of School Mary Moorman was confident that demand for online programming would only continue to grow in the coming years.
It’s seven years later and Moorman is still confident in that prediction — and for good reason.
This year, 3,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade from around the state are enrolled at the academy, in addition to 40 in dual enrollment classes. When the program started in 2016, it had an enrollment of around 150 students.
“We’ve doubled in size almost every year,” Moorman said.
Moorman said the program had been growing steadily through 2020 but when the pandemic began, enrollment shot through the roof, growing by around 2,000 students “almost overnight.”
Moorman, a resident of Mesick, helped form Highpoint Virtual Academy after serving as a high school English teacher and eventually principal of the Ohio Virtual Academy. Altogether, she has 17 years of experience in the field of virtual learning.
Highpoint Virtual Academy was formed through a partnership with Mesick Consolidated Schools, which oversees its programming and receives a percentage of its funding.
Most of the students enrolled at the academy are from Flint, Detroit and other areas downstate, although Moorman said there are around 20 that live within the Wexford-Missaukee Intermediate School District.
The academy offers classes tuition-free, just like any other public school district — the only difference being that its lessons are taught solely online.
Moorman said things have changed a lot from the time when parents automatically sent their kids to the school nearest to where they lived.
“Parents are getting better and better at finding the school that fits their children’s needs,” Moorman said. “Brick and mortar isn’t for everyone. Families really want choices, even if only temporarily.”
There’s no single reason why some families choose a virtual school as opposed to brick and mortar: not being challenged enough academically at their home school district; getting away from bullying; better scheduling flexibility — Moorman said for 3,000 students, there are 3,000 different reasons.
Like a traditional public school, Highpoint Virtual Academy is funded by the state. It receives money based on fall and spring student count data, federal dollars allocated based on the percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced lunch, and other sources.
The academy employs staff members around the state to assist students and their families. These staff members include teachers, counselors and advisors. Like student enrollment, staffing at the school has grown exponentially, from around 10 when the school was formed to around 200 now.
Students are sent all the materials they need to learn online, including a computer, printer and a hotspot for internet access.
“It’s really a big job,” Moorman said in regard to ensuring that students are given all the tools they need to succeed. In many respects, this part of the job is the same for staff at Highpoint Virtual Academy as it is for those who work at any brick-and-mortar school, Moorman said.
One way in which virtual schools are different, however, is that staff don’t have to address as many of the behavioral issues as those at physical schools have to deal with.
While students enrolled at the academy can take their classes from the comfort of their homes, the schedule they must follow is more structured than people might think, Moorman said.
“We’re unique in that we have a pretty regimented schedule,” Moorman said. “You might not see that with every online program.”
Highpoint Virtual Academy is one of four in the state to offer tuition-free K-12 classes but Moorman said to her knowledge, it is the only program in the state that offers dual enrollment opportunities.
Students can work toward degrees and certificates from Baker College and Davenport University, including associates degrees in a number of fields, including business administration, information systems, criminal justice, IT, early childhood education, human services and game programming.
Moorman said the academy also offers counseling support for students and families navigating the world of higher education. This is a crucial assistance for first-generation college students, Moorman said, since they come from families that have no experience in this area.
This year, four students will graduate from the academy’s Early Middle College program with associate degrees they earned for free online.
Another dual enrollment program offered at the academy is Career Pathway, where students interested in a particular field can take classes in that subject to find out if it’s something they’d like to pursue after they graduate from high school.
While Moorman said some in the education industry believe that virtual classes aren’t as good as face-to-face learning, the programming offered at Highpoint Virtual Academy isn’t the same thing as what public schools attempted to do when schools were closed during the pandemic, when staff were stretched thin and doing things they weren’t trained for or accustomed to.
“This is what we do,” Moorman said. “And we’re getting better at it all the time.”
The fact that most of the students enrolled at Highpoint Virtual Academy are from the southern parts of the state likely is a testament to the quality of education here in Northern Michigan, Moorman said.
“It really speaks a lot about the schools up here,” Moorman said. “They really do everything they can for the students.”
To learn more about the Highpoint Virtual Academy, please visit http://hvam.k12.com.
