Enrollment is now open for the Bayfield School District’s new online learning program.
The program, which will be available for grades five through 12, intends to provide “flexibility, personalization, and strong connections to the local school community,” according to a news release published by the district this week.
The announcement comes less than a month after the Durango School District rolled out plans for its own online program.
According to the release, Bayfield’s online program is being created in response to “changing educational needs and a desire on the part of district leaders to meet those needs for families in La Plata County.”
The program is intended to serve students who are homeschooled, working jobs or are involved with demanding extracurricular activities, the release said. It will officially kick off this fall, said Bayfield High School Principal Jason Wayman.
“This is about providing students with a program that works for them,” Wayman said in the release. “We are going to keep it personalized for the benefit of our families.”
The district will use the Colorado Digital Learning Services platform for core coursework, and will also offer a small selection of supplemental courses like physical education, work study and research projects, Wayman told The Durango Herald.
The program will be led by licensed Colorado teachers, the release said.
According to the release, the online option will support access to academic planning and counseling services, special education support and opportunities for concurrent enrollment with Fort Lewis College, Western Colorado University, Adams State University and Pueblo Community College.
Online or hybrid students will be able to participate in athletics, clubs and other extracurricular activities and will be eligible to graduate with a Bayfield High School diploma and walk in their graduation ceremony, the release said.
For more information
For more information, contact Dean of Students Amy Kakavas at akakavas@bayfield.k12.co.us or visit www.forms.gle/BtU4CgjZct95v2758.
There are some existing online options for Southwest Colorado students, including the Southwest Colorado eSchool, Colorado Connections Academy, Colorado Virtual Academy and Colorado Digital Academy.
The Durango School District’s online program will be open enrollment, district Superintendent Karen Cheser said at a board of education work session in March, meaning students from outside of Durango can enroll.
The Bayfield School District’s online program will also be open enrollment, according to district spokesman Bob Bonnar.
The Bayfield School District described its online initiative as “reflect(ing) the district’s commitment to combining small-school relationships with innovative learning opportunities.”
“We want to meet our families where they are at in this new era of education,” Wayman said in the release. “We’re not afraid of change – we’re excited to learn and grow with our students and families.”
epond@durangoherald.com
