Students: CFHS online program offers crucial flexibility

CLARK FORK — Lake Pend Oreille School District’s new online school option offered through Clark Fork High School attracts nontraditional students who prioritize both flexibility and individual accountability. The Online Academy started this year with five students, but today, there are approximately 41 juniors and seniors enrolled in the program. 

“We created the online school to provide options for local families. So if we can help a student graduate who is thinking about dropping out, we're extremely pleased with the outcome,” said Casey McLaughlin, LPOSD’s secondary education director. 

Like a traditional school, weekly assignments and compulsory tests accompany each unit — but that’s pretty much where the similarities end. Students rarely step onto campus, communication takes place over the phone or through digital means, and the curriculum is self-paced. Clark Fork principal Phil Kemink describes it as a student-driven, mastery-based model that meets state graduation requirements.

“Students go at their own pace. They are able to test out of units in a pre-test and then it will pull out certain components of the unit that they already know,” Kemink said. "I want the program to work well for the students it is a good fit for. This is just another option for people to acquire an education and move forward with their lives.” 

Teenagers are flourishing in this learning environment, because many are juggling academic commitments alongside work, travel or family responsibilities. 

“Every single one of our kids in this program is completely different,” said Amanda Heilman, Clark Fork’s school counselor. “And with every kid that enrolls, every family has a different scenario.” 

Buddy Adams, 16, was attending Clark Fork and looking for a way to fast-track his way to graduation. For the past month, while attending high school through LPOSD’s online campus, Adams has been in Hawaii learning the concrete and fishing businesses. 

Students are drawn to the online option for many reasons: academic struggles, anxiety or mental health challenges, a way to graduate early, extended family travel, home environment, training for a professional sport, or to start college or trade school early. 

Students who participate in the program enroll in four courses each quarter. Progress is monitored daily by work completion and login time. Clark Fork staff maintain consistent communication with students and parents. 

“We've gone through some growing pains but I'll tell you this has been an outstanding opportunity for many of our families,” Kemink said.