‘You build it, they will come’: Utah Online School sees major increase in graduates within a decade

Written by Nick Yamashita
June 13, 2023

ST. GEORGE — Utah Online School saw 272 graduates — the most in its history  — walk across the stage to receive their diplomas last month.

Utah Online School has seen an increase of enrollment and graduates in the last decade, St. George, Utah, May 19, 2023 | Photo by Nick Yamashita, St. George News

The graduation ceremonies for one of the fastest-growing learning institutions in the state took place May 23 at Desert Hills High School. The auditorium was packed with graduates’ family and friends, with people standing along any empty spots along the wall during the ceremony.

“It is amazing the program’s growth,” Utah Online School Director Laura Belnap said.

A decade ago, they held their first graduation — with two graduates.

The Utah Online School is a program where students can enroll both full-time and part-time. The school is part of the  Washington County School District but has about 7,000 students and staff across the state. This includes running online programs for other school districts.

The program has been active since 2004, but it was several years before high school-level learning was offered.

Belnap said the reason for the continued growth of online schooling is because each student is an individual.

Valedictorian Sage Bonell speaks at Utah Online Graduation, St. George, Utah, May 19, 2023 | Photo by Nick Yamashita, St. George News

“In our school, we consider every child unique,” she said. “Our vision and mission is to champion individual growth.”

She said in a traditional school, it is difficult to champion that individual growth in a classroom of 30 students.

Such an example is this year’s valedictorian Sage Bonnel, who relayed experiences where “misunderstood” was often the center of schooling. This included being put in a closet for “acting out” in class.

Bonnel was able to find success in the Utah Online School due to a trio of school staff assigned to each student. They were able to help Bonnel, who has autism.

Belnap said this trio of school staff includes a teacher, counselor and mentor.

Besides the trio of school support, the parents and community members play a valuable role, she said.

Belnap said there were effects from the COVID-19 pandemic both at the beginning and the end of the period. However, it was not drastic as development was already on the upswing.

Utah Online student Will Stevens performs “Music of the Night” at graduation ceremonies, St. George, Utah, May 19, 2023 | Photo by Nick Yamashita, St. George News

“We saw a larger increase than traditional, then we saw a small decrease,” she said. “We have already aligned ourselves as many parents who originally said we are not going to do any more online, immediately came back.”

Several students at the graduation were in unison in their reasoning for attending the more modern choice of schooling. Each one said it fit their schedule and allowed them to work at their own speed.

“They like the options,” Belnap said in agreement.

The students are able to pick the courses and work at their own pace. Many times, these students are ahead of other classmates within a traditional school setting, but here they don’t have to wait on others to catch up to the class before moving on.

On the flip side, students who struggled at the pace in the traditional setting find they can slow down and learn better one on one.

Again Belnap re-emphasized how each student is unique so the school population includes so many varied reasons for attending, including bullying and racism issues.

“We do have kids like that,” she said. “We also have kids with anxiety. We have kids who just want to excel and get done.”

Washington County School District Superintendent Richard Holmes at Utah Online Graduation, St. George, Utah, May 19, 2023 | Photo by Nick Yamashita, St. George News

She said it doesn’t matter the predicament the student is in, they take them in and set them up for success using proper support channels, but the student must be willing to do the work required.

As for gratitude towards the achievement of the school, she gave many accolades to the Washington County School District administration for their continued support. The continual motivation of the leaders, staff and mentors has played an integral part as well.

As for the future, they continue to build growth and success, especially in setting students on the right course in academics and life.

“We are a ‘tried and true’ online education opportunity for students,” Belnap added. “We will continue to grow because you build it they will come.”

Photo Gallery

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nick Yamashita has extensive experience reporting for small town media, covering a variety of subjects and events for The Virgin River Times and The Progress in Southern Nevada. Before a career in journalism, he worked a variety of jobs in criminal justice systems. Yamashita holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and a master's degree in interdisciplinary studies from Southern Utah University. He is an award-winning photographer and writer. He has been published in scholarly articles and poetry compilations. In his spare time, he practices and teaches martial arts.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!