Research suggests that collaborative learning designs, which require interaction with teachers and peers, can promote engagement and learning for online courses. Many K-12 students seek supplemental online courses to meet graduation requirements and desire flexibility, which often conflicts with required interactions. This paper asserts that online independent study learners may create a proximate community of engagement (PCE) to provide the benefits of collaboration and interactions. Using the adolescent community of engagement (ACE) framework as a lens for identifying interactions, this study surveyed K-12 independent study students to assess their perception of the need for interaction with a support community while completing an online course. Results showed that students perceive the benefits of such a community and plan to receive support from parents, teachers, and counselors proximate to their location. The perception of the need was significantly greater for students taking a course for credit recovery than those taking the course for the first time. Course providers can coach independent study students and family on how to create a proximate community of engagement.