Cloverdale's Clover Distance Learning program continues to excel

Since the spring semester of 2021, the program has excelled and given students not only from Cloverdale and Putnam County, but all over the state, the opportunity to thrive.

In 2020, while the world was bracing with the beginning of and then fall out of the Covid-19 global pandemic, officials within the Cloverdale Community Schools district had a novel idea of embarking on an on-line educational program, called Cloverdale Distance Learning Academy. 

And, since the spring semester of 2021, the program has excelled and given students not only from Cloverdale and Putnam County, but all over the state, the opportunity to thrive in an online education experience. 

"It has had a very positive impact for us. When we decided to take the project on in 2020, I don't think we had any idea how successful it would be and the growth we would experience, but it has certainly been something that has been good for our district," Superintendent Greg Linton told The Putnam County Post. 

Cathy Ames, director of curriculum and instruction for Cloverdale Community Schools, echoed those sentiments. 

"Our first semester was right when we all returned from Covid. Whereas, parents around the state and in our own community were worried about their kids going back to school, we were providing some different opportunities for them and when we took on this endeavor of starting Cloverdale Distance Learning Academy, it really benefited not only our local county and school, but students all over the state," Ames said. 

Linton said the time away from school due to Covid, helped prepare the district for what it would look like to offer online learning.

"It definitely provided an opportunity for us to become experts in how to provide online education and not just go through the motions. It allowed us to learn how to connect parents with schools and receive a quality education whether they were seen in one of our buildings or at home learning remotely," Linton said. 

Ames said while she understands online learning may not be for everyone, the learning academy and its students have enjoyed quite a bit of success. Ames said that with various choices in education, parents may be looking for an option for their student to get an education despite having medical issues or otherwise and having an educational setting online instead of a brick and mortar building can be an asset. 

"Our teachers are wonderful in our Cloverdale Distance Learning Academy of being right there to help the students and help the parents be those instructional cheerleaders right there at home," Ames said. 

Ames recalled when the program began in 2021, there were only 174 students involved and now the academy boasts a roster of over 2,000 students.

"That, in itself, speaks to the success that we have had, and we continue to grow," Ames said. 

The growth has caused the district to implement ninth grade to the program, and there are plans of possibly adding 10th grade next year, according to Ames.

"It is a wonderful thing for our school and the state of Indiana, and we are very proud to have it and offer it for Cloverdale. It is available for students not only in Putnam County, but the entire state," Ames said. 

In addition to an educational aspect, Linton admitted the district has benefited financially from the distance learning academy and may see the real benefit if the Indiana General Assembly opts to cut property taxes this session. By doing so, school districts could face economic hardships, according to Linton. 

"Financially when you look at the benefit that brings, just looking at that in isolation, we have been very fortunate to diversify what we have been doing in Cloverdale. With revenue projections down in the state and other financial challenges that our General Assembly is working with, it has been a very good opportunity for us to be able to expand and diversify revenue coming into the school district," Linton said.