While Henry County’s public schools (out of necessity) made online learning the norm for every student during the last three month of the school year, its longtime virtual program is getting ready to offer opportunities to more students than ever.

  Impact Academy was established in 2012 and is entering its ninth year in operation. It initially became available for students in grades 9-11 and, within a few years, was open to students in all middle and high school grades, offering a blended learning program that allows students to go to school without ever setting foot on the property of a regular zoned school.

  This fall, the program is available for students in kindergarten through fifth grade, although only 110 to 115 slots are available. Expanding into the elementary grades has been looked at for some time, according to IA principal Steve Thompson.

  “When Dr. Davis came on board as superintendent, we were her first stop,” he said. “The initial question I had was, ‘When are you going to add elementary school?’ So we’ve been planning for it for a couple of years, but now we believe parents appreciate a range of choices, and this is a way for us to provide that.”

  Students in the elementary program will attend the Impact Academy campus in McDon- ough Tuesdays and Thursdays, working from home the rest of the week. The schedule is the same for middle schoolers. Elementary learning in the classroom includes an emphasis on hands-on and project-based studies, according to district officials, and parents are an integral part of the process.

  “For elementary and middle school, it looks just like school,” said Thompson. “A structured day, the teacher teaches, and there is P.E. and other things.”

  High school days at IA are Monday and Wednesday, with students in grades 9-12 required to attend at least one day a week. They take part in live lessons with teachers and take all of their tests on campus.

  One wrinkle for elementary students is that parents will be responsible for their own transportation to and from the campus, in a building shared with EXCEL Academy. Older students have the option of riding a bus from their zoned school with students in the Academy for Advanced Studies, and they also can choose to take one or two classes at a zoned school while also participating in extracurricular activities there.

  The total enrollment for middle and high school is capped at 630, and it will reach that mark soon. Most of the middle school is already full except for eighth grade. “A lot of parents aren’t ready for their kids to go to middle school so they try this, and then they decide to stay,” said Thompson.

  It is important to note that Impact Academy is totally separate from the online learning model that was created last spring for the COVID-19 shutdown. That is being offered again this year for students who want to continue doing it at home full-time, working with teachers from their zoned schools.

  Impact Academy enrollment is underway, and it will continue until the first day of school in August or until all classes are full.

  “The sooner the better,” said Thompson. “We’ve already hired our teachers. We are really appreciative of the school board. While we’re facing budget cuts from the state as a district, we are able to expand this and offer it to parents at this time.”