STANWOOD — A home-school resource center that would provide school district-sponsored assistance to students who get most of their education at home could be on its way to the Stanwood-Camano School District.

Shelly Greer, an elementary school teacher who is looking into whether such a center would work for the district, said about 60 people attended a meeting last week about the proposal. She’s heard from 30 families, making up about 70 students, who might attend the center if one is opened in the fall.

Stanwood-Camano serves approximately 5,300 students.

Several districts in Snohomish County, including Arlington, Edmonds, Everett, Lake Stevens, Marysville, Monroe and Snohomish, already have such centers.

Students who are otherwise taught at home attend five to 15 hours of classes each week and meet with a teacher at least once each quarter to gauge their progress.

In return, the district gets about $4,000 in state money for each student, who officially enrolls in the public school system under an alternative education plan. Under most programs, parents also receive a stipend of several hundred dollars a year for school supplies or other activities such as piano lessons.

The next step in Stanwood-Camano is a presentation to the school board, which meets on March 16. School board members want to know what the level of interest is, how much the program will cost and whether it will get enough state money to cover those costs.

Eldon Allen, Stanwood-Camano’s assistant superintendent, said the size and excitement of the crowd at Thursday night’s meeting impressed him.

"They were certainly enthusiastic about moving ahead with some kind of project," he said.

Allen said the district doesn’t have space in any of its schools or buildings for such a center, so renting a space will factor into the cost.

"We’re new at the game, in terms of looking at the revenue side and figuring out exactly what revenue is generated and balancing that against the expenditures," he said.

If the process moves forward and gets the school board’s approval, a center could be open for the next school year, Allen said.

Greer is checking with other school districts that already have such centers to see what the cost is like, and whether it’s worth maintaining.

So far, she’s contacted Monroe, Arlington, Lake Stevens and Snohomish, she said.

Parents are looking for a very individualized program, Greer said, one that can adapt to each student’s needs.

"We really need to be looking at a program that provides a lot of options that are somewhat individually designed," she said.

She also noted that parents are looking for different things out of the program. Some want their children to have a chance to interact with others, some want one-on-one time with teachers, and others simply want a little break.

"Home-schooling your child can be quite demanding," Greer said. "Some want to get away from it a little bit, too."

Reporter Victor Balta: 425-339-3455 or vbalta@heraldnet.com.