Goodyear hybrid school enrollment increases amid COVID-19 pandemic
Apr 30, 2021, 5:01 PM
PHOENIX – Despite overwhelming eagerness for the country to return to pre-pandemic normalcy, some students and their families are opting to continue with virtual and hybrid learning models.
One local hybrid school, Valor Academy in Goodyear, is seeing the rising interest in hybrid learning firsthand.
The academy has 117 students enrolled for the fall 2021 semester, more than three times the amount enrolled (28) when it opened in 2019.
“Since we were kind of pandemic-ready, ours is an innovative model that’s flexible to what the parents and students need,” Daniel Mahlandt, principal and hybrid learning specialist told KTAR News 92.3 FM.
“The goal is to empower them to make those decisions, and we saw them make those decisions throughout the year.”
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According to a recent survey of 1,000 parents of K–12 students, 45 % would choose to keep their children fully online given the chance, and 22 % would choose a hybrid model for their children.
Mahlandt added some parents started their children online, but transitioned them to the rotation model for a better-suited learning experience, while minimizing COVID-19 exposure.
From 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., students follow a station rotation model by meeting teachers in-person, while having the option to stay in the afternoons or finish their studies online from home.
More information about Valor Preparatory Academy can be found on the website.
KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Ali Vetnar contributed to this report.
