New business targets students struggling with online learning

Frustrated with how some students are struggling with online classwork during the coronavirus pandemic, the owners of a new business in Spokane are trying to give parents another option to prevent them from falling behind.

Hometown Studyhall has opened a location at 176A S. Howard St. to provide in-person supervision for students struggling with all aspects of their schooling after being forced to attend school through a computer screen.

“Teachers need help. That’s what we are trying to do,” co-founder Danny Baker said. “We are a small outfit, but we are trying to make an impact.”

The business came about after Baker and his sister, Holly Rock, watched in Moses Lake as family members struggled with online-only classes.

Students “are lacking parental oversight and accountability due to the current shutdown,” Baker said. “We talked a lot about it in the summer and into the fall and decided there really is nothing out there.”

Rock started a similar business in January in Moses Lake and is working with school officials there.

Discussions have begun in Spokane, but the new business is not yet affiliated with Spokane Public Schools, he said.

“We don’t pretend to have all the answers, but we know we can make an impact, as we have now proven it with our first location,” he said.

District 81 spokeswoman Sandra Jarrard did not immediately respond Thursday to interview requests.

Baker said Hometown Studyhall will hold an open house all next week to allow parents, teachers and students to check out what it has to offer.

“We have a limited number of vouchers for a free session to give away,” he said.

“We are not just setting them at a desk and walking away. We are with them.”

In Moses Lake, most parents can’t afford the hourly rate to hire tutors. Baker believes many families face the same challenges in Spokane.

He noted a high percentage of students in District 81 were not passing math, English or science, based on numbers reported from the district for the 2018-19 school year.

“There are a plethora of reasons why students are failing,” he said.

“In a normal school year, you have no way for a teacher to gauge how 30 kids are doing all at a different pace.”

Under his model, the students would have one adult for every five or six kids.

“You are not going to get that in a public school,” Baker said. “They are not getting the attention that they need. So, they are feeling like they are left behind.”

Hometown Studyhall only has room for about 25 students, but that could double depending on its initial success.

Baker also believes the business can continue to play a role for students even after students return to classroom settings.

“There will always be some kids who need some extra help,” Baker said. “Those with single parents who work or parents who are not able to help them with their homework, that’s what we are all about.”

Parents can learn more at hometown-studyhall.com