ASHLAND — When Donne Copenhaver took over as superintendent at Ashland County Community Academy in the fall of 2024, he grappled with a major challenge: nearly the entire staff had turned over from the previous year.
He expected the school would see a dip in enrollment for the 2024-2025 academic year thanks to that. It did see a drop, Copenhaver said.
The Ohio reports portal doesn’t yet show enrollment data for the 2024-2025 academic year. The latest available data showed enrollment growth at ACCA between 2022-2023 and 2023-2024, from 74 students to 86.
But when Copenhaver talked with students about why they chose to leave, he uncovered a different reason for their departure.
“What we found out by talking to them was that many, if not most, of them left ACCA because they wanted an online offering, and since we’re a brick-and-mortar, we could not give them that and still keep them enrolled in our school in terms of funding,” Copenhaver said.
Anecdotally, the desire for more online offerings and flexibility was often students’ only reason for choosing a different schooling option. Copenhaver decided to start looking into solutions.
What are the benefits of blended learning?
An online course is different from blended learning, as blended has more in-person interaction.
Studies have shown blended learning can have positive impacts on students’ self-study skills and academic achievement.
What he discovered was the option to move the school into a blended learning model, something the state has allowed since 2012. Ashland County Community Academy will make that transition, and operate under a blended learning model for the 2025-2026 school year.
“Blended learning is the delivery of instruction using a combination of time in the school building (50% or more) and online and noncomputer-based learning activities,” according to the Department of Education and Workforce.
The transition has no cost, but Copenhaver hopes the payoff for ACCA comes with student retention.
What will this look like at ACCA?
Copenhaver said at ACCA, the blended learning model means the school has around 24 days of “blended learning” throughout the year — nearly every Friday.
“The single best thing about being blended versus being an all e-school is that … even if we’re blended, it doesn’t mean we’re going to refuse kids if they want to come in and work with their math teacher on something,” Copenhaver said. “If they want that kind of help, they’ll still be able to do that.”
They’ll also have the chance to try other opportunities.
For one, Copenhaver said the school will have a certified Career Based Intervention instructor who will help students coordinate job shadows. With flexible Fridays, it will be easier for students to do those types of activities.
He also said it would give staff an opportunity to engage in professional development some of those Fridays, while on others, they could be asynchronous. He hasn’t put limits on that yet.