Online academy graduates first student

RITZVILLE – The Lind-Ritzville School Districts online program has graduated its first student.

Thomas Bache-Wiig graduated from Lind-Ritzville Academy earlier this month.

Bache-Wiig graduated from the academy, with the full support of his family, including his father who “came all the way from Maine,” Superintendent Don Vanderholm said.

Bache-Wiig was comfortable with the online format from the beginning, the superintendent said, noting that the student “buckled down” and never missed a weekly meeting or goal-setting session with his teacher and mentor Paul McAnally.

Bache-Wiig said he already has employment opportunities and plans on starting as soon as possible.

“We couldn’t be proud of Thomas,” Vanderholm said.

Lind-Ritzville High School Principal Kevin Terris added his own kudos to Bache-Wiig, stating he was a “hardworking kid.”

Starting in 2022, the academy was initially started to provide an online option for children and parents looking to move away from in-person public schooling during the COVID-19 pandemic and gubernatorial mandated shutdowns and restrictions.

“We lost kids during the pandemic,” Terris said. “We wanted to offer a choice to parents.”

According to Terris, the goals of the academy are three-fold:

• To be an option for parents

• Maintain a connection with the community

• Provide support to those looking to homeschool