Is Online School Worth It? Home Depot VP Says It’s the Best Choice for Her Son

For many American families, “school” still means a physical building, a traditional bell schedule, and all the familiar trappings of homecoming, football games, and cafeteria lunches. However, for Kimberly Scardino, Senior Vice President of Finance, Chief Accounting Officer and Controller at The Home Depot, the path to the right education for her son Nick looked very different.

Living just outside Atlanta, Georgia, Kimberly never expected to enrol her child in a fully online private school.

We really never thought we would have a child who didn’t go to traditional school/ a brick-and-mortar school throughout their 12 years.

Yet after years in traditional private schooling, the limitations became impossible to ignore.

“We started to really think about the curriculum that school offered – specifically AP classes.We started to feel restricted by the [traditional] school’s curriculum.”

Nick, now 17, attended a well-regarded private high school for his freshman and sophomore years. But as his interest in engineering grew, so did the need for a curriculum that could match his ambition.

Like many families who relocate, the Scardinos faced challenges with course placement.

Because we moved around, he often stayed at the same maths level, and it was difficult for him at new schools to get into the more advanced classes.

Kimberly wanted him to be able to take summer courses, advanced classes, and the calculus he’d need to be competitive for top engineering programs, and she wanted this without artificial roadblocks like age-based prerequisites.

At CGA, he was able to take as many classes as he needed, and what was most important to me was the Da Vinci programme, which gave him extra one-on-one teacher support to help him through courses I knew would be challenging.

Exceeding Expectations Outside of Academics

Kimberly describes the school’s academic advising and pastoral support as one of the biggest surprises.

From first working with CGA to decide his curriculum, to the teachers he has had, and now his college counsellor, everyone has really sought to understand where Nick is at academically.

This wasn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. She admires CGA for their personalized approach to Nick's learning.

The questions [CGA] ask—about the student’s aspirations, how colleges will view them, and ultimately what Nick wants and how he wants his junior and senior years to be—show that personalized approach in action.

Parent-teacher meetings, AP exam prep suggestions, and feedback tailored to Nick’s strengths and challenges have helped him thrive.

They’re continuously trying to understand how to bring the virtual class to life, making sure that we’re all working together to make him as successful as possible.

Rethinking What a “Great Education” Means

Initially, Kimberly and her husband were sceptical.

“When Nick actually introduced the idea of online school, we were not very open to it right away.”

But she found that CGA offered something her family hadn’t experienced in brick-and-mortar schools: consistent, high-quality teaching.

The diversity that it offers, he students in his class - live all over the world, it’s really opened our minds to what a great education can look like.

From an American teacher based in Japan to classmates from different continents, CGA’s environment has broadened Nick’s horizons — and given him an edge in preparing for university.

Advice for Parents Considering the Leap?

Kimberly encourages research, networking, and a willingness to challenge assumptions.

One thing that really helped us was talking to other parents who had experience with non-traditional schools and learning from what they had been through.

The Scardinos’ story reflects a growing trend in the US: parents turning to online high schools to give their children flexibility, advanced academic options, and access to teachers and peers beyond their ZIP code.

If you’re a US parent weighing whether to stick with a traditional school or explore the best online private school options, Kimberly’s experience is a reminder that sometimes the leap into something new is exactly what your child needs.

Speak to our academic advisors today to learn more.