As Mid-Prairie Home School Assistance Program Director Rachel Kerns prepares for a unique school year, she anticipates a large number of families will join the homeschool program. Kerns has fielded two to three phone calls a day from parents who have interest in joining the program. She believes even though enrollment might see a sharp increase, they have the tools to serve homeschool families well, “So far, Mid-Prairie is able to keep our numbers with the staff that we have. We have about 23 teachers who work on our team. So we do have quite a few spots there to fill up. I did just last night post two positions for supervising only, so I do aim to hire some extra people. We would rather hire people and be able to serve the families who need us at this time knowing that there’s so many qualified home schoolers. There are homeschooling families out there who can support each other that really does help with the extra demand on numbers right now.”

If parents choose to pursue this way of schooling, Kerns reminds parents what to keep in mind while beginning the homeschooling process, “The biggest thing to keep in mind is that you are not alone. At the home school assistance program we have teachers here to support you. We have teachers here to ask questions of. If you don’t know something is typical or if you’re concerned about something, that’s what our job is. We celebrate successes with you and at the same time can help you with your very next steps. If parents are choosing this, I think we just need to remember you’re the primary teacher. You’re the one driving the boat. You’re the one making all of the decisions, but you’re not alone. There are people who can help you in educating your child this year.” She invites parents who are interested in the homeschool assistance program to visit the Mid-Prairie website for information on how to get started and if this choice is right for them. Last school year, 409 students were enrolled in the homeschool program. Another 52 students are expected to join the program this upcoming school year.