( CNN ) Most days , 16-year-old Jason Zobott walks into Huntley High School in suburban Chicago around 7:30 a.m. like any high schooler might . It 's what he does the rest of the day that 's not so typical . Zobott is enrolled in Huntley High 's blended learning program , which merges Internet-based instruction with a more traditional classroom setting . One-third of the school 's 2,700 students are enrolled . In 2015 , the school is working toward enrolling the majority of its students . `` Having to work online makes it really accessible to do the work that I have to get done , '' said Zobott , a top-ranked junior who balances a heavy load of extracurricular activities with schoolwork . `` I can learn on my own . I can work at the pace I want to work . And I learn the way I want to learn . '' Huntley High School students and educators often refer to the program simply as `` blended . '' It allows teachers to write the curriculum , with students giving feedback about the focus . Unlike many traditional online learning programs , students have the option of a flexible schedule during allotted blended learning days . Some days they meet with teachers , and some days they work online , according to Anne Pasco , who heads the school 's educational technology efforts . `` In blended learning , we focus on the content . We do n't focus on needing to cover X amount of material , '' Pasco said . `` Blended allows us to provide a stable environment that gives students the ability to spread their wings a bit , while we have the safety net of pulling them back into class if they need it . '' The `` homegrown '' program , which launched in 2011 , gives students who struggle in certain content areas more one-on-one time with teachers during the school day , Pasco said . `` Before blended , that had to happen after school or before school or on Saturday or maybe not at all , because we had too many other activities that encroach upon ( students ' ) academic day , '' Pasco said . `` Now , this student can work one-on-one with that teacher during the school day . '' Teachers can monitor students ' progress and track lesson plans online to see how much time students spend on a specific assignment . Teachers are allowed to restructure the class schedule based on students ' needs . `` There 's actually much better accountability , '' said John Burkey , the superintendent for Huntley High 's school district , which includes about 9,500 students . `` Blended learning is not a panacea , and the success of the program is n't about spending a bunch of money on technology . Rather , [ it 's ] looking at what students actually need , and building a culture of innovation to meet those needs . '' Burkey said there were plenty of questions about blended learning when it was first introduced to the Chicago district in 2011 . One concern : How was the district going to pay for it ? It turns out the blended learning program spends about $ 8,500 per student , less than the Illinois average of $ 12,000 per student . `` We spend considerably less than the average school district . We do n't have a lot of resources compared to many districts , '' Burkey said . `` We did not put new money into this . What we did is change the old things we were doing and changed them into new ways . It 's really a change in how you think of high school . This is not a more expensive option . '' It has worked . In a study published in 2014 in eLearn magazine , 92 % of students surveyed at Huntley High said that they were satisfied with the blended learning experience , and no teachers reported negative experiences with it . The school is also seeing higher standardized testing scores . `` The growth of blended certainly has corresponded with an overall rise in ACT scores , '' district spokesman Dan Armstrong said . Since blended learning was implemented , Huntley High 's average composite ACT score has gone up nearly a point , from 22.1 to 23.0 . For 16-year-old Zobott , the advantage is time management . Three of his courses are advanced placement . He also plays varsity basketball and club soccer and works part time . The blended learning program helps him better prioritize his busy schedule . `` Having blended gives us time to work on them , and get stuff done efficiently so we have more time during the week to do other things , '' he said . What 's still left to be determined about blended learning is how well students do in college or jobs after they graduate , Burkey said . `` I think we 're still in the infancy of this , '' Burkey said . `` It 's still such a new thing , and we 're all excited about it . My own kids are still in elementary and middle school , so they have not done blended learning yet , but they definitely will when they get to high school . ''
Huntley High School in Huntley , Illinois , offers a blended learning program . The school is located on the campus of St. Francis College and has an enrollment of about 500 students from grades 9 - 12.