As rural school districts across the country face the twin challenges of declining enrollment and constrained resources, Arizona’s Sierra Vista Unified School District (SVUSD) provides a model of creative resilience. Under the entrepreneurial leadership of Superintendent Dr. Eric Holmes, the district is demonstrating how a bold idea can re-engage students and families who left the district during the pandemic.
The Challenge: Declining Enrollment
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated pre-existing enrollment challenges at SVUSD, resulting in the loss of over 1,100 students. The district’s financial health, tied directly to student enrollment, faced significant strain.
Accepting decline as inevitable wasn’t an option. Instead, Holmes and his team got creative to reverse the trend.
“If we don’t have the kids, we don’t get the funding. That means our budget is devastated, and we have to lay off people and close programs,”
Dr. Eric Holmes, Superintendent at SVUSD
The Solution: A Hybrid Microschool
SVUSD partnered with ASU Prep Global to develop a hybrid microschool tailored to students in grades 7–12. The program blends online learning with flexible, on-site support. Students complete coursework independently but attend in-person sessions at least four hours weekly, where they can get additional support for academics, college applications, and project work. The design reflects an understanding that traditional school models cannot meet the needs of a diverse student population.
Holmes recognized that families had gravitated toward homeschooling during the pandemic, so designing a program that would live within the middle or high school building would likely not appeal to them. Instead, SVUSD housed the microschool in a renovated space within the district’s central offices, designing it to reflect the look and feel of a modern college study area, with private areas for focused work and collaborative spaces for group projects.
“If you don’t want to be at the high school, then why would we put a program there like this?” Holmes asks.
Meeting Students Where They Are
A key program strength is flexibility. Multiple start dates are available throughout the year, allowing students to join when they’re ready. Students can tailor their on-site attendance requirement however they prefer, whether spreading over daily visits or attending just once or twice weekly. Such adaptability has proven crucial in attracting students who had disengaged from traditional schooling, often because the flexibility of home or online learning offered appeal.
Sierra Vista’s hybrid microschool model also incorporates opportunities for early college coursework. By partnering with higher education institutions, the district ensures that students can earn college credits while still in high school, reducing financial burdens and preparing them for post-secondary success. Currently, the microschool serves 30 students, with plans to expand to over 200 in the coming years.
A Financial and Educational Win-Win
The hybrid microschool addresses three critical goals: re-engaging disenfranchised students, improving the district’s financial stability, and fostering a strong community with local families. By recouping lost enrollment, SVUSD can protect the funding needed to maintain and expand programs for all students. Holmes sees the initiative as an investment in the community’s future: “Recouping those students will allow us to do more things for all kids.”
Lessons for Other Districts
Sierra Vista’s experience offers valuable insights for other rural districts grappling with similar challenges:
- Innovate Beyond Traditional Models:
By breaking away from the one-size-fits-all approach, SVUSD created a program that meets students where they are, both physically and academically.
- Leverage Partnerships:
Collaborating with organizations like ASU Prep Global brought expertise and resources that were instrumental in designing and implementing the hybrid model.
- Create Flexible Learning Environments:
The microschool’s emphasis on personalization and choice has been critical in attracting and retaining students.
- Embrace Community Needs:
The district’s willingness to “blow up the traditional model” underscores the importance of listening to families and responding to their preferences.
Looking Ahead
As SVUSD grows its hybrid microschool, the approach serves as a powerful reminder of the potential for rural schools to lead in educational innovation. By focusing on student needs, leaning into partnerships, and embracing flexible time, pace, place, and enrollment options, Sierra Vista is transforming challenges into opportunities. Other districts can draw inspiration from the model to consider how an open approach to new learning designs can re-engage their students as well.
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