SANDPOINT — Adventure, knowledge and wisdom.

Those are the key aspects of Melinda Rossman’s mission for the Homeschool Academy, which is set to start its second year of supplemental education for home-school students, grades K-8. The academy was the topic of conversation Friday as Rossman, along with a couple of families enrolled in the academy, joined former Lake Pend Oreille School District Trustee Steve Youngdahl as he hosted Friday’s airing of the LPOSD School Zone radio show.

“What's unique about this school is we get to create our opportunities on a daily basis,” Rossman said. “We started off last year with 16 students. Our funding was based off of those 16 students. This year we're starting with 62 students, and I'm so excited about our funding being around that many students because we're going to really just explode this year with the possibilities of what this program can truly become. It's going to be world-class.”

The Homeschool Academy, which is administered through LPOSD, only requires students to attend a minimum of two-and-half-hours per week. It is funded by the state based on attendance and does not require any levy dollars, Rossman said.

Rossman came to the district with 39 years of experience. She spent 25 years as a ski coach and worked for the U.S. Forest Service, where she created programs for wilderness education. After she was injured in 2002, she decided to become an educator, earning a master’s degree in education.

“Fast forward 15 years, I moved to North Idaho from Colorado and was interviewed for the dream job of my career and hired by Lake Pend Oreille School District,” Rossman said.

Chelsea Baker, a mother of four, attended the radio interview with two of her children who are enrolled in the academy. After attending the academy for the entirety of its first year, Lizzie Baker, 13, and Jack Baker, 8, gave their own accounts of what they like most about the school.

“I think the field trips are really fun, and Ms. Rossman's a great teacher for really any subject,” Lizzie said.

“I like the field trips, I like building the kites, and I like Ms. Rossman because she's really nice ... And I like skiing,” Jack added.

Baker said the family moved to the area from Spokane in the summer of 2016, and she called the school district to let them know she would be home-schooling the children, which, of course, is not required in Idaho.

“They referred me to Melinda and I'm so happy that they did,” Baker said.

Suanne Ellis and her son, 10-year-old Kodiak Ellis, also attended the show to talk about their experience so far. Suanne Ellis said Kodiak started in at the academy in April. The family previously did not have the best experience with the Lake Pend Oreille School District when Kodiak was enrolled in an elementary school, and she was reluctant to enroll him again. But after reading an article by the Daily Bee about Rossman and the academy, she said she “loved” that Rossman is “not in any box.”

“That that really is what stood out to me,” Ellis said. Her master’s, her forestry work — I don't know if you want to call it well rounded, but it’s as eclectic as we are. So then we tried it in April, and he loved it. And it was great. And she's always willing to listen to my ideas.”

That, Youngdahl said, is one of the hallmarks of the school is that it is “customer driven.” Rossman is constantly collaborating with parents and others in the community to form new ideas and working with families on what they want and need for their children, because nobody knows their children better than they do.

“It's completely community driven and I'm just a facilitator to make it a reality,” Rossman said.

Youngdahl said he and his wife home-schooled their two oldest children until both wanted to attend Sandpoint High School. They wanted to put their son in an honors English class, but met “resistance” because they did not have a referral from a teacher — because they, the parents, had been the teachers. They finally got him in and he did “wonderful.” His point, he said, was the culture of the district at that time wasn’t welcoming for home-school families. So when he got on the board, Youngdahl had continuous conversations with superintendents, until Shawn Woodward took the reins and made the Homeschool Academy happen.

“He made it happen because he established a level of trust with a small number of families,” Youngdahl said. “... When he hired Melinda Rossman. This is the point, this is the pivotal point where this thing actually took shape, took flight, and took off.”

Youngdahl said it is “poetic” that the academy, which is likely to take off in other parts of the state and beyond, started in Bonner County, because the right to home-school in Idaho started in Bonner County after a woman sued the state for the right to home-school her kids and won.

“So the whole the whole home school movement, and the right to, started right here and then we've come full circle to, now, we've historically opened the first home-school academy …” Youngdahl said. “And I got to tell you that, and it was amazing to me, when I sat down and actually made that whole linear connection.”

Rossman said when she spoke to families prior to opening the school up for the 2016/2017 year, she learned that what they wanted for their children was environmental education, as well as exposure to humanities, such as art, music and theater. Last year’s curriculum focused a lot on the aquatic environment of Lake Pend Oreille and then an introduction to botany in the spring. This year she has expanded her curriculum to include classes at the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint.

While 62 students are enrolled in the school for the fall, Rossman has a few families looking into it and expects she may have more than 70 enrolled when the school year commences.

“If you're considering checking it out, Melinda is more than willing to meet with you, have you come spend a field event day with us just to see what you think about the community and just so you know that it’s not a waste of time or taking away from your five days of home-schooling,” Baker said. "It actually is a much needed enrichment and fun time for your kids.”

Youngdahl hosts the radio show, which focuses on “all things cool” in the Lake Pend Oreille School District, every other Friday from noon - 1 p.m. The show airs on KSPT 1400 AM and KBFI 1450 AM.

Listeners can also find information of upcoming shows and listen to podcasts of previous shows by “liking” the LPOSD School Zone Facebook page at facebook.com/LposdSchoolZone.

Mary Malone can be reached by email at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.