Родители в Колумбусе массово переходят в микросколы из-за индивидуального подхода

THE MICRO SCHOOL BOOM HITS THE CHATTAHOOCHEE COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) -Small classes, hands-on lessons and personal attention — that’s what’s drawing a growing number of Columbus families away from traditional public schools and into what’s known as a micro school. Iris Allen enrolled her daughter in kindergarten at Academy of Creatives, a Columbus micro school with a maximum class size of 10 students. She said she noticed a difference almost immediately. “I chose Academy of Creatives because I loved that they had an alternative learning style — which is something that I really wanted for my daughter, because I just felt like public school would not work for the type of processing that she needs for her brain,” Allen said. Within weeks, Allen said she saw academic growth. “I’ve already seen a jump in her vocabulary, and I’m just like, wow, this is great,” she said. A Growing Alternative Academy of Creatives was founded in 2022 by Christina Jones, who homeschooled her own children for several years before starting the school. Jones holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a master’s degree in counseling psychology. Jones said the number one reason families leave traditional schools for alternatives like hers comes down to a lack of individualized attention. “They feel like their learner is getting lost in the classroom, the bigger schools — and their accommodations aren’t truly being met, even if a child has an IEP or a 504 plan,” Jones said. The school focuses on STEAM-based, project-driven learning. “We want learners to think outside the box — academics outside the box,” Jones said. Not Just for Younger Kids Sylvia Duarte’s children range from elementary to high school age, all enrolled in micro or hybrid school programs. Duarte is also an outreach ambassador for the National Hybrid Schools Project, and she said affordability is often misunderstood. “The median for these schools is about $5,000 — so this becomes an accessible thing for your average middle-class family, even lower-income family,” Duarte said. Duarte said the trend shows no signs of slowing down nationally. “It’s definitely here to stay. We’ve passed the pandemic — the pandemic was six years ago at this point — and we are still seeing growth in hybrid schools and micro schools,” Duarte said. The Trend Crosses State Lines The shift toward smaller, alternative schooling isn’t limited to Georgia. In Opelika, Alabama, The Oaks School offers a kindergarten-through-12th-grade Christian education with a four-day school week. The school is eligible for Alabama’s CHOOSE Act, which allows eligible families to apply state-funded scholarships toward tuition. In Georgia, some families use the state’s Promise Scholarship to help cover costs at schools like Academy of Creatives. For parents like Allen, the appeal is simple: an education built around her daughter’s needs. Copyright 2026 WTVM. All rights reserved.