The Haven School’s bell may not ring, but it has been serving students graded K-12 one way or another for nearly 20 years.

The recently formed school originated as “D3 My Way” back in 2006, an online program that provided educational alternatives for Widefield School District 3 students.  During the 2019-2020 school year amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the program experienced an influx of students and staffing which led to the establishment of the D3 My Way Virtual School at the former S. A. Wilson Elementary building.

The school has remained operating ever since and now offers a hybrid approach for students across school districts with a focus on flexible and individualized learning experiences. It was re-named the Haven School for the 2023-24 school year, with its inaugural graduating class consisting of 33 students.

Among this year’s graduates is Nyma Watkins who decided to attend the school after learning about it while attending Watson Junior High.

She opted for it during her high school years because of the flexible times and online class options it offered students like her who may face traveling and scheduling conflicts.

“For some students, coming to school five days a week can be really hard,” she said. “Because people are busy and their families can be busy.”

The school operates primarily using the online program “Accelerate” to provide standardized curriculum that give students the options to attend in-person classes 1-3 times a week depending on their current grade and determined needs.

The school’s flexibility offers instruction for students who are additionally involved in athletics, internships, college classes, jobs and work-based learning located off-site.

Not entirely a virtual school, Haven also includes on-site instructional days along with activities and events found in traditional schools like graduation ceremonies, proms, field days and experiential learning through field trips and lessons with local organizations like Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and the Space Foundation.

Haven School principal Caroline Johnson said this hybrid approach has brought together students from across D-3 and neighboring school districts with a collective identity over the years that she believes sets it apart from other online schools.

“We bring a lot of unique and diverse perspectives from students that probably wouldn’t have met each other and it’s been really wonderful to see friendships form between our students and our staff,” she said. “And that’s something that keeps students coming back to the Haven: is that they feel they belong.”

Haven totaled 300 students this year. With a 16:1 student-to-staff ratio (state average is 17:1) and flexible meeting times, the school’s teachers have the opportunity to get to know each of their students on a more personal level and provide them more individualized instruction.

Watkins said this has helped her both academically and socially, by allowing her to complete assigned work at a more convenient pace while also fostering closer relationships with her teachers and classmates than she had at previous schools. She’s also become more involved in her community through the Educating Children of Color nonprofit where she reads to elementary school students.

Despite the initial appeal of remote learning, she found herself spending a large amount of time at the school.

“I’m not required to be here, but I want to be here,” she said.

Along with serving as the school’s current principal, Johnson has also worked as its program director and assistant principal over the past seven years. During this time, she’s witnessed its spike in enrollment and exposure during the pandemic when instruction was forced to move entirely online.

“It was definitely a real team effort,” she said. “Because it went from (having) six or seven teachers at the time to 40 and then 99 students to 1500 within that first quarter of the school year.”

Outside of this anomalous year, instruction has remained largely consistent since the establishment of the program and, later, the school with an all-virtual option still being provided to select students. With student enrollment steadily increasing at the school, Johnson partially attributes this to it increased exposure during the pandemic.

“COVID-19 really opened the eyes of families that education doesn’t have to be in the traditional sense or in the traditional brick and mortar model,” Johnson said.

As Haven’s student numbers continue to grow, Johnson hopes to see its infrastructure grow alongside it through either additional space or a new dedicated building.

As for Watkins going forward, she’s aiming to get accepted into UCCS’s game design and development program following graduation. She admits that the Haven School’s approach isn’t for everyone since many students enjoy what traditional schools have to offer, but it just might be what others are looking for.

“If you’re like me and you prefer something smaller, I’d say ‘Yeah, check it out,’” she said.

The Haven’s graduation ceremony will be held on May 17, 6 p.m. at the Widefield High School Auditorium.