By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1
As thousands and thousands of children enter the doors of their school houses, the 2023-24 school year is well underway across the United States. With this school year also comes an important milestone for Barren Academy of Virtual and Expanded Learning (BAVEL), a virtual education institution that functions as a public school for students throughout the commonwealth, as it enters its twentieth year of operation.
“Folks often think that virtual schools are a relatively new thing,” said Scott Harper, director of instruction and technology. “But for Barren County Schools, in partnership with a lot of folks who’ve helped, we have been around for 20 years and at the forefront of virtual education in Kentucky.”
BAVEL was originally founded in 2004 when administrators saw a plethora of high school students leaving school without a diploma.
“The administrators saw there was a need to address the needs of these students and [a way for] them to continue and get their high school diploma,” said Melinda Owens, director of counseling. “Really that was the birth of BAVEL.”
“I don’t know if there’s an actual birthday, it’s more of a birth year,” added Olivia Dooley, BAVEL’s first full-time principal.
When the academy first started it consisted of one classroom at Barren County High School with “only a handful of students” participating in correspondence courses out of the University of Kentucky.
Since then it has continued to grow, Harper said, first having one full-time teaching position then two then another in a “controlled growth” trajectory to present day where BAVEL has seven full-time staffers — plus roughly 30 more across Kentucky — with 230 to 240 students.
“Since 2004 it has grown to serve students all over the commonwealth,” Owens said.
Interestingly, Jeanelle McGuire, director of admission, said the highest concentrations of BAVEL students were not in Glasgow or Barren County, but rather in Jefferson County and Northern Kentucky.
One major addition to the academy, Harper said, was elementary curriculum added during the pandemic. Another change comes from their enrollment and curriculum. Originally BAVEL was envisioned as an “at risk” school that would help high school students who needed assistance with graduation. Now the academy “offers it all” in addition to an accredited high school diploma including Advanced Placement courses, dual credit and honors classes.
Presently, BAVEL is a nationally accredited institution with the NCAA and recognized by the Kentucky Department of Education. The academy has numerous accolades and awards including having ACT scores that are well above the state and national averages, a national merit finalist from Jefferson County, a Gatton Academy student and more than 600 graduations.
“We’re very proud of the program,” Harper said. “We’re extremely proud of our staff that make this happen everyday who go under the radar a lot and don’t get a lot of attention because they are hard at work providing for students’ needs across [BAVEL].”
Dooley said she is already looking forward to the next 20 years. According to her, most of their efforts will be getting BAVEL more well known in the community.
McGuire said the academy will continue to reach out to students to meet their needs. Owens echoed this sentiment, saying the academy will continue to build and foster relationships with students, families and communities.
“Nationally and internationally,virtual education is obviously going to be a part of the future of education,” Harper said. “I can only imagine what it’s going to look like in 20 years as folks continue to change and adapt. We’re going to keep going and meet these needs of Kentucky.”
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