When Wisdom Ridge Academy opened in fall 2021, Ridgefield School District created the Alternative Learning Experience (ALE) program to provide students and families with more flexible educational options. From the beginning, the school was designed around family partnership, allowing students to complete much of their learning at home while receiving curriculum, guidance and support from Ridgefield School District teachers.
Last year, the program expanded with RidgeConnect to support homeschooling families by provisioning additional resources, curriculum, and licensed teacher support to families who choose to educate their children at home.
Five years later, Wisdom Ridge continues to evolve.
Steady growth and feedback from families have helped transform the school from a primarily online program into a more comprehensive homeschool partnership, with expanded in-person learning opportunities, additional staff and new ways for students and families to connect with their school community.
Superintendent Dr. Jenny Rodriquez said expanding the choices available to families has been a priority for the district.
“Every student and every family is different, and providing more high-quality educational options allows us to better meet those individual needs,” Rodriquez said. “Expanding the opportunities available through Wisdom Ridge has been a priority, but doing that successfully requires having the right leadership in place. Susan has brought tremendous experience in alternative learning and a clear understanding of how to build strong partnerships with families. Her leadership has enabled us to thoughtfully grow this program in ways that respond directly to what our community is asking for.”
Principal Susan Smith joined Wisdom Ridge in 2025 after spending five years as an assistant principal at River HomeLink, a homeschool partnership program in the Battle Ground Public Schools district. Since arriving in Ridgefield, Smith said she has consistently heard from families looking for additional ways to combine homeschooling with the resources and connections available through public education.
“Parents are still wanting to homeschool their kids, but they also want to work with us,” Smith said. “The changes that we’re seeing reflect that.”
More in-person options for younger students
One of the biggest expansions for the 2026-27 school year is a new hybrid program for students in kindergarten through sixth grade.
Students come to Wisdom Ridge two days per week for two-hour classroom sessions while completing the majority of their learning at home. Ridgefield teachers provide curriculum, academic support and oversight while working in partnership with parents.
The expansion came directly from feedback provided by families.
Smith said parents—particularly those with younger children—wanted more opportunities for face-to-face instruction without giving up the flexibility and family involvement that attracted them to homeschooling. Wisdom Ridge surveyed current and prospective families, with particularly strong interest coming from families of K-6 students.
The new program includes three groups: Nestlings for kindergarteners, Scholars for students in grades 1-3 and Voyagers for grades 4-6.
Nestlings and Scholars participate in a STEM-focused program incorporating science, engineering, math and English language arts. Voyagers incorporate social studies, art and English language arts into their learning.
While the programs are still new, Smith said the benefits are already extending beyond academics.
“Kids are making friends,” Smith said. “You see them leaving and talking to each other, and parents are exchanging phone numbers for play dates, creating new homeschool co-ops, and extending their learning together, we’re seeing exactly what we were hoping to see.”
For families who choose homeschooling, those connections can provide an important balance; preserving the flexibility and family-centered nature of learning at home while creating opportunities for students to learn alongside peers and become part of a school community.
“The homeschool families are stepping into and embracing our public school system,” Smith said, “and then in turn, we’re supporting, including, and welcoming them.”
Expanding support beyond the classroom
As Wisdom Ridge has grown, the school has also expanded the services available to support students and families beyond academics.
This year, Jessica Ambrose serves as a counselor for Wisdom Ridge students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Her role includes academic and career planning, post-secondary preparation, crisis support and connecting students and families with resources.
Ambrose said having a dedicated counselor gives families a clear point of contact when they need assistance that extends beyond an individual course or classroom.
“Having that particular person to go to, it helps streamline for the teachers and the staff and also for the families to know where to go to get those resources,” Ambrose said.
Smith said the addition is significant because Wisdom Ridge students and families experience many of the same needs as those attending a traditional comprehensive school, even if students aren't physically on campus every day.
“All the different things that you see in a comprehensive school we have here,” Smith said. “The kids just aren’t always on campus, but having a counselor here now that is pulling in resources and connecting with students, we’re meeting the needs of those families in a way that we’ve never been able to do before.”
The addition of counseling services is another reflection of Wisdom Ridge's evolution: as enrollment and educational options grow, so does the network of support surrounding students and families.
Growing with the community
The K-6 hybrid program and expanded student services are just pieces of Wisdom Ridge’s continued growth. The school has also introduced additional in-person opportunities for high school students, including site-based math instruction and hands-on Career and Technical Education programming.
And more growth could be ahead.
Smith said Wisdom Ridge has already received significant interest in similar in-person opportunities for seventh- and eighth-grade students. The school plans to gather additional community feedback later this school year as it considers what an expanded middle school offering could look like.
Through all of those changes, Smith said Wisdom Ridge’s purpose remains the same: supporting families in finding an educational model that works for their children.
“We’re not here to try to take homeschooling away from them,” Smith said. “We value it, and we want you to continue to do it, but we’re here to support you if you would like the support.”
That partnership can be as extensive—or as limited—as an individual family needs.
“We can support you with one class, or we can support you with all the classes,” Smith said. “It’s your choice. You’re in control. Just let us know what we can do to partner with you.”