Moses Lake tutoring center launches student voucher program

Since the January opening of Hometown Studyhall at 108 W. Third Ave. in Moses Lake, more than 90% of the learners went from failing grades to passing, most of them with As and Bs, its owner said.

While the results of the study hall have been a great success, the business has been losing money, owner Holly Rock said. COVID-19 heightened the need for such tutoring services, but it also reduced a lot of extra spending money to provide them.

“I’ve heard the numbers of the failing students, and it’s not OK,” Rock said. “I don’t want any kid going back to school next year hating school. That’s what’s going to happen if we can’t get them caught up and know their own value.”

Already, Rock has lowered her rates to help more students in need.

“There are a couple students that I was losing money on every day, because I wasn’t going to tell them no, they can’t come because their parents didn’t have money,” Rock said.

Heightened need, shortened funds. Acknowledging this, several businesses reached out and asked how they could help. Thus, the lightbulb flared, Rock said: student vouchers.

“There’s just so many people that need help this year and besides the kids needing help, the parents don’t have the funds, either, to send them because of the crazy year,” Rock said.

Rock will fully launch on Thursday the sponsor-a-student program, in which businesses and individuals can fund a student’s extra learning.

The vouchers will come individually or in packages of five, four-hour sessions, Rock said. To start, she is giving 40 to each of the three middle schools in Moses Lake.

“Any kind of services are going to be great for any of our students really,” said Frontier Middle School counselor Dana Santos. “I think when Holly started that program it was really exciting and great that it was something that someone in the community stepped up to offer for our students in the Moses Lake School District.”

Already, Insta Stor, Lake Country Woodworking, Heather Lynn Photography, Affordable Auto and several other businesses have purchased student vouchers, Rock said.

Not only will the program help students who have fallen behind during the pandemic, but it will provide another option for parents who are hesitant about exposing their children to the classroom, Santos said.

When conducting home visits, this has been a common sentiment, she said.

“There’s a lot of families that are still really cautious, which we respect that,” she said. “They probably would feel better being in a small environment versus sending their students into the school environment, and so having a place for them to access is just going to be really beneficial.”

Both Frontier Middle School and Chief Moses Middle School reached out to Hometown Studyhall because parents asked how to sign their kids up, Rock said.

“Middle schools, they have their own programs, but they heard about our success here,” she said.

Rock said she envisions the tutoring sessions as a knowledge co-op. On big rolling whiteboards, students all share their ideas and learn together.

“Besides doing the academics, we’re inspiring greatness and teaching kindness, respect, dignity and diversity, a lot of critical thinking,” Rock said. “When one of our students has a question that nobody can answer, we figure it out together.”

The best part, Santos said, is it came from the outside.

“I really am appreciative that someone in the community stepped up and provided a service for all of our students,” she said. “I think it’s just a great opportunity and I’m just thankful it came from our community.”

As the community stepped up to help students in need, Rock said, the community needs to help keep the program afloat.

To sign up or sponsor a learner, call (509) 707-0207 or visit hometown-studyhall.com.

Sam Fletcher can be reached at [email protected].