Tucked away in the wilderness, with a homey feel, away from the fluorescent lights, noise, and sometimes chaotic environment of public schools, is the home of John and Connie Doty, where 19 students learn at Flathead Valley Academy.  

John and Connie have always dreamed of their school being accredited one day, but it was always cost-prohibitive. Finally, they saved enough money. After Connie wrote over 300 pages of reports and completed many observations and surveys, the academy gained accreditation on Dec. 17.  

The academy is a private school that serves high school and junior high students. It is a hybrid set-up with students at the home-based academy on Mondays and distance learning for the rest of the week.  

John and Connie moved to their home near the West Shore of Flathead Lake in 1987 and homeschooled their six kids. Connie is a licensed Montana-certified teacher with 38 years of experience. She’s previously tutored and taught at Polson High School. Now she is the academy’s math and English teaching specialist and serves as the principal and lead teacher.  

John holds a bachelor's in forestry and natural resource management from the University of Montana. After 40 years in the forestry world, he retired from Doty’s Treeworks and now serves as the school’s assistant teacher, financial officer and home cook. He’s the expert in science, history and government subjects.  

When entering the home-based academy, the welcoming feel is apparent. It’s warm, with soft lighting, and there’s space in any room for students to relax and work. Of course, there’s also coffee, tea and fresh snacks every Monday morning.  

The living room and dining area have a massive wooden table for meetings and a wood stove, with cozy couches all around it. Connie describes it as a one-room schoolhouse where learning is through class discussion rather than lectures. She creates a personal environment to meet students' individual strengths and needs.  

Now that they have grown kids, the Dotys have turned their old bedrooms into offices and created more multi-use spaces for the students. The academy has break rooms, a recreation room, a second living room space and a loft.  

“They can sit on the couch in the living room, or if they're not feeling like being around 20 other students, or they have a headache, they can go upstairs, and they don't have to ask,” Connie said. “It's just more of a home environment.”  

But it’s more than school, they build personal relationships with their students. Alumni drop their siblings off or come for a visit and invite John and Connie to their weddings.  

Jory Becker, a junior who transferred from Polson, explained that he couldn’t focus in the public-school environment. 

“I felt like there was a bunch of disrespect that no one was calling out. I just got tired of the student behavior,” Becker said.  

Becker said that since transferring, he’s felt he’s learned more useful and life-applicable information, such as financial literacy.  

After class, students are sent home with a personalized packet, which they can complete at any time. This allows them a more flexible schedule to work part-time or full-time and the opportunity to work at their own pace.  

Connie and John are available constantly for students to reach out to. Connie explained that some students contact her every week, while others are more independent.  

Currently, the academy has 19 students, and Connie noted that she can accommodate 21. The students are a mix of former homeschoolers and transfers from local public schools.  

“They try public schools, and for whatever reason, it's not working. And so, we're more of a laid-back opportunity to achieve the same thing,” John said.  

The academy’s accreditation is through Cognia, a global nonprofit that evaluates and recognizes schools, districts and private institutions based on rigorous standards focused on learning environments, resources and leadership. According to Cognia’s website, accreditation isn’t about passing a one-time inspection; it's about helping educators make improvements and commitments to create better learning outcomes.  

“Cognia is the leader in public and private accreditation, and they really helped us a lot to really understand our school and where our strengths are and places where we need to improve,” Connie said. “It was really gratifying to work with them. So now we're globally accredited.”  

Some students' families struggle to afford the private school option, but there may be a new avenue at the academy. Connie is working on a partnership with ACE Scholarship, a national nonprofit organization that raises funds to help low-income students and to allow parents a choice in education.  

She explained that they will pay up to 50% of a student's tuition, and that their tuition is currently half that of a typical private school. She also noted they will start a scholarship drive to offer full-ride scholarships to families who wouldn’t be able to cover half the tuition.  

Learn more at www.flatheadvalleyacademy.com. 

    Flathead Valley Academy junior Jory Becker reads through his study guide before finals are passed out on Monday, Jan. 12. (Emily Messer/Leader)