Newport-Mesa Unified to close virtual Cloud Campus, divert some kids to independent study
When COVID-19 lockdowns had Orange County school districts wondering how to segue students between in-person instruction and distance learning, Newport-Mesa Unified School District crafted a plan for families seeking to keep their children learning at home.
The Cloud Campus — a 100% virtual learning option offered to students in grades TK through 12 — began enrolling students for the 2020-21 school year. By first semester more than 1,700 students were learning alongside classmates on Zoom for part of the school day and working independently as their schedules allowed.
It was a preferred option for children at risk of exposure to the virus and students who struggled in a traditional school setting. Cloud Campus also provided a measure of continuity as brick-and-mortar schools opened and closed in response to shifting COVID-19 protocols.
“There was so much uncertainty as to, were we going to stay in hybrid learning or go back and forth with distance learning?” recalled Mike Sciacca, Newport-Mesa Unified director of secondary education and Cloud Campus’ first principal. “Many families were looking for stability.”
The 100 or so instructors who’d transferred to the online school worked to create a sense of normalcy for kids by offering clubs, school assemblies and letting students select a mascot, the phoenix. Attendance swelled to 2,200 students in the school’s first year, according to Sciacca.
But now that the pandemic has receded, it seems Cloud Campus has served its purpose. With an enrollment of just 220 students, district officials confirmed Wednesday the school would not reopen for the 2023-24 academic year.
“The main reason was the reduction in parent interest,” Sciacca said. “Cloud started in response to community interest, and as community interest has changed and shifted, we’re shifting the options and resources for families.”
Cloud students were given three options — return to their original schools, request a transfer to another NMUSD school or pursue independent study through the district’s Monte Vista campus.
News of the closure came as a blow to Newport Beach mother Robin Carter, whose 17-year-old daughter, Cameron, has thrived at the virtual school for the past two years.
“Cloud Campus was an absolute blessing. There is a section of kids who struggle with normal school, and my daughter is one of them,” Carter said of her daughter, whose anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder interfered with traditional instruction.
“When she realized she couldn’t go to normal school, we had to fork out for a private school, which was astronomically expensive. But then the Cloud Campus opened up — it was the missing link.”
The small class sizes and close connections between teachers and students helped Cameron bring her grades up from failing to As and increased her confidence. Carter said next year, they will try a mix of online learning with occasional in-person classes at Newport Harbor High.
“I think there’s a big need for [online learning],” she added. “It’s almost what the future is going to be anyway, where you work from home, you teach yourself and motivate yourself.”
About half of the 220 TK-12 students currently enrolled in Cloud Campus have elected to enroll in independent study next year because they report the model fits their learning style better than a traditional classroom, Sciacca said.
The influx of new admissions will swell the student population at Monte Vista, which operates on the Back Bay High School campus. District officials have decided to physically move Monte Vista to a former school campus still owned by NMUSD at 1001 Presidio Square near Davis Magnet School.
Meanwhile, the 23 instructors who are still teaching Cloud Campus classes, like the students, have the option to return to their home schools or another campus or transfer to Monte Vista.
Under the independent study model, students work remotely at their own pace but have regular check-ins with teachers and appear in person to take tests as needed.
“We’re exploring different options, where they can access teachers for more one-on-one help, and we haven’t ruled out things like small group meetings with a math teacher,” Sciacca said.
The school will open next year with seven teachers, along with staff members and Raquel Stephens, who will shift her principal assignment to Monte Vista from the Cloud Campus.
Stephens said Friday independent study is about redefining success for students.
“We have structured components in place to ensure students have the content support and progress monitoring they need to be successful,” she stated in an email. “We also have flexibility for students who are pursuing a passion, such as music or athletics, or who, because of life circumstances, require more flexibility in the time, place, and pace of instruction.”
Carter, who remains hopeful about next year, says the virtual school was a lifeline for Cameron.
“It was remarkable. It saved her life, literally,” she said.
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