Our Story

The beginnings of ArchwayOnline trace back to 2008, when David Parkerson and Lynn Knowlton began recognizing significant changes taking place within the homeschooling community. As more families explored home education, it became clear that many parents desired the flexibility of homeschooling but did not feel fully prepared to transition directly from a traditional school setting. Families were seeking additional guidance, structure, and academic support.

From this growing need, the vision for the “Archway” program was born: a program designed to serve as a bridge for families transitioning from traditional education to homeschooling. Over time, that original vision continued to evolve and expand.

Years later, as homeschooling trends continued to evolve, Lynn recognized that the needs of families and students were changing as well. The traditional homeschool family looked much different than it had a decade earlier, as increasing numbers of students were leaving the public school system for a variety of academic, personal, and family reasons. With this shift came a growing demand for greater flexibility, structure, and support within home-based education.  In 2015, our leadership team began discussing the increasing need for a program like Archway. These conversations led to the development of a clear vision and strategic foundation for the school. From there, intentional steps were taken to build and launch what would eventually become ArchwayOnline.

Archway was launched in 2016 under the direction of Lynn Knowlton. With the help and hard work of key team members, Archway developed better processes, which led to steady growth of the program during the first few years. The program continued to build, and Archway reached nearly 500 students by the end of the 2019/2020 school year.

With education trends still changing, the leadership team began seeking options for accreditation in 2018. There was no doubt that accreditation was going to be a necessary piece of our puzzle. With more students homeschooling short-term with the intention of returning to public school, the need for reciprocity became more and more crucial. We also began to see a greater need globally, finding international families who were looking for U.S. accredited diplomas. Over time, more and more families were looking for programs like Archway that offer support, accountability, and accreditation for their students.

In 2020, the program reached a significant milestone by earning accreditation and officially rebranding as ArchwayOnline, an accredited virtual school committed to serving the changing needs of modern families. This transition reflected both the growth of the program and its continued mission to provide flexible, high-quality educational opportunities for students learning outside of the traditional classroom.

ArchwayOnline has since welcomed many students and families who turned to home education due to medical concerns, bullying, mental health challenges, scheduling needs, or other personal and academic circumstances. For many families, the decision to homeschool is made with uncertainty, but also with the hope that it is the best path forward for their child. “Home Education Redefined” reflects the understanding that learning from home does not always look like traditional homeschooling.  ArchwayOnline exists to support families seeking the educational environment that best fits the needs of their student and family.

With decades of experience supporting homeschooling families, our team understands that successful learning from home begins with commitment from both the student and the parent. Strong support systems are essential to helping students succeed academically and personally. By working one-on-one with students and families, our team offers encouragement, accountability, guidance, and motivation to help each student reach their full potential.

Take this journey with us. Welcome to ArchwayOnline.