School district connects with Home Connections

Parents and school officials gathered at Point Roberts Primary School on May 28 to discuss the future of the Blaine School District’s Home Connection program and other educational opportunities available to local families.
Home Connection, an Alternative Learning Experience (ALE) program that combines parent-led instruction with support from certificated teachers, was introduced in Point Roberts for the 2025-26 school year. Four students participated, and district officials said enrollment is expected to grow to seven or eight students next fall.
"We want you to feel part of this school district," Superintendent Dan Chaplik told families. "We want to meet you and partner."
Chaplik said the district hopes to expand Home Connection offerings as enrollment grows. Officials discussed increasing instructional time and creating separate groups for younger and older students.
Several parents said they would like more instructional time and opportunities for Home Connection students to socialize with peers. Chaplik noted that Home Connection is designed as a parent-partnership program, with most instruction taking place at home.
“If you wanted your sons or daughters to be here all day, and they were in transition to kindergarten through second grade, you could do that,” Chaplik said. “You could drop them off, they could attend and then go home. But what you want is more of a contract-based learning, which is the ALE.”
Home Connection teacher Becky Martin said the Point Roberts program is structured similarly to the district’s larger Home Connection program in Blaine.
“Our onsite classes are not part of the core, because that is taught at home, and that is the nature of the parent partnership,” Martin said.
Parents asked whether Home Connection families could use school facilities outside scheduled class times for cooperative learning activities and parent-led enrichment programs. District officials said they are open to exploring options but must comply with district policies, volunteer requirements and insurance rules.
“We’re going to work through all of the stuff that we heard today,” Chaplik said. “We’re going to take a look at our schedule and see what we can do.”
The district is moving forward with plans to add a second teacher at Point Roberts Primary School, creating separate classes for transitional kindergarten and kindergarten students and for first- and second-grade students. Officials also discussed a proposed after-school shuttle service that could transport Point Roberts students home from extracurricular activities in Blaine.
Officials said they plan to continue discussions with families as enrollment numbers for next school year become clearer.