Our School

School History

Explorer Academy emerged from a vision to support hybrid-schooling parents by providing a structured, certified teaching experience, curriculum resources, and a collaborative space for sharing ideas and work.

It began modestly—no name, 44 families, and a warehouse. By Christmas of 1997, its inaugural year, Explorer Academy relocated to a portable building next to East Port Orchard Elementary. In the 1999-2000 school year, it settled into its current location just east of South Kitsap High School. Today, the academy serves approximately 300 students with a team of over 20 staff members and numerous parents committed to their children’s education.

Designed as a hybrid educational model for students of the South Kitsap School District, Explorer Academy blends flexibility, independence, care, and support into a tailored educational environment, offering our community an individualized learning experience that benefits everyone involved.

For more information on "Doing School at Explorer", please click here.

Course Catalog | Parent Handbook

Highlights

Office Check-in / Meet the Staff

Explorer Academy is located near the South Kitsap High School baseball field. Drive down the hill along the baseball field. Turn right at home plate. Continue to the top of the small hill. Turn right into the parking lot. The office is located in the house.

1723 Wolves Dr.
Port Orchard, WA 98366

We ask that all visitors sign-in with the office when coming to campus.

Meet our Office Staff

Monthly Newsletters

Parking

Explorer Academy has a small campus. When coming onto campus please follow the directional signs for traffic flow when picking up and dropping off your student.

If you are visiting campus for your monthly advisor meeting, please park in the lined visitor parking in front of the building or in the gravel pull-in along the baseball field.

Please leave the space along the tree line for parents lining up to pick-up or drop-off.

If you are a student in High School and drive your own car we require that you fill out a parking pass form and pay the fee at the High School ASB office. Students are required to park in the gravel lot by the Fast Pitch field.

Student Parking Permit Form (pdf)

Forms

Fees & Fines

Parental Declaration of Intent for Home-Based Instruction

We collect the Parental Declaration of Intent for Home-based Instruction forms and report them to the state in October every year. However, we do not offer services for homeschooling families. If your student requires any services from the school district or needs to take HBI testing, please contact the school in your boundary area. To find out which school that is, please check here.

Information regarding Home-Based Instruction in the State of Washington can be found at the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction website.

Information regarding private homeschooling organizations and state laws pertaining to Home-based instruction.

Forms are due by September 15 to Explorer Academy. You can either drop off the form at our office or mail it to:

Explorer Academy
1723 Wolves Rd
Port Orchard, WA 98366

District

In This Section