ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - Some South Georgia families are turning to homeschooling and online classes, citing learning styles, safety concerns, and complex medical situations as factors in their decision.

Sara Smiechowski, a South Georgia parent, said the structure of traditional school did not work for her family.

“Strict attendance in the traditional school system just didn’t fit right for our family,” Smiechowski said. “We do have a very complex medical child, again, with also our religious beliefs. Certain things we didn’t align with in the traditional school system just fits our family better.”

According to the National Home Education Research Institute, approximately 3.408 million students in grades K-12 were homeschooled in the United States in 2024-2025, up from 2.5 million since COVID.

Smiechowski said she does not believe her children are missing out on social development.

“They’re always socializing. They’re always doing something,” she said. “I don’t believe they will be missing out because there’s a lot of things I don’t want them exposed to. So that kind of boils down to personal belief — what may fit for somebody. I don’t think my kids are missing out at all.”

Levi Hibbard, a teacher with Georgia Connections Academy, said online education allows him to build closer connections with students.

“The things I enjoy about online virtual education is I believe that I’m providing an option for kids who traditional school environment may not be perfect for them,” Hibbard said. “It also allows me to engage my students in a different way than I would if I was in a regular brick and mortar school. It opens the door for more students to feel like they have more access to me if they want it.”

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