River HomeLink will move to Brush Prairie

Parents formed a line Thursday outside the Camas Church of the Nazarene, where River HomeLink school is housed, to register their children for fall classes.

The rush came after it was learned that the Battle Ground School District, which formed the alternative school in 1996, planned to move it back to Brush Prairie and cut full-time enrollment from 430 to 200 students.

The decision was made due to budget reductions at the state level, which impacted local schools.

“We have wanted to bring River HomeLink into our district for several years and have been looking for an alternative facility for at least two years,” Superintendent Shonny Bria said.

The school will now be located at the Battle Ground district offices, 11104 N.E. 149th St.

Last Friday’s registration was limited to returning students. By 2 p.m., 259 students had been registered, but it is not yet known how many will attend full-time.

River HomeLink is an alternative learning experience that involves considerable parental participation. Students are usually homeschooled in addition to attending HomeLink.

Teacher Darlene Wilgus, who helped organize Friday’s registration event, said that the school is a testimony to the fact that education is not a “one size fits all” endeavor.

“Different students have different learning styles and some thrive in non-traditional learning environments,” she said.

Look in the June 21 Post-Record for more information about the closure of River HomeLink and parental reaction.