Nurturing Wisdom Academy OK'd by Village Trustees, Will Open in August

A private middle school that emphasizes more class time and customized education programs got the go-ahead it needed from the village to open its doors in Hinsdale next month.

The Board of Trustees approved a special-use permit that will allow Nurturing Wisdom Academy to rent and occupy two to three classrooms in the currently vacant Zion Lutheran School at 125 S. Vine St.

The ordinance approving the special-use permit was passed unanimously as a part of the board’s consent agenda. There was no discussion of the ordinance at the meeting.

, and the Zoning and Public Safety (ZPS) Committee did the same on June 25.

Vice president Amanda Vogel, who will run the day-to-day operations of the new school, said Nurturing Wisdom plans to open its doors for the first day of school on Aug. 20 and is still open to new enrollees.

Nurturing Wisdom, which has run a tutor service in the area for the last seven years, will enroll no more than 36 students at the new school.

“We’re not going to be anywhere near capacity" on the first day of school, Vogel said after Tuesday’s meeting.

School leadership has said since the spring that it did not expect to hit 36 during the first year, and Vogel sounded confident Tuesday that the word will get out about the school in the near future.

“We think we’re going to end up with a waiting list by the end of the [school year],” she said.

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Nurturing Wisdom aims to provide a customized education program for students whose needs aren’t being met at a traditional school.

It won’t be just a school for kids with special needs or advanced learners, Vogel said at the Plan Commission meeting. It will also strive to serve kids who have intense interests, like writing or music, but might be "coasting" academically in their current school.

"They’re so passionate about these things, but they’re kind of average in the classroom," Vogel said on June 13. "We're looking to bring out these strengths and nurture these kids."

The Nurturing Wisdom school day would start at 8:15 a.m. and end at 4:15 p.m. All the students’ work would be done during the school day and there would be no homework. The school year would contain 200 days, 22 more than District 181’s 2012-13 calendar. Students would get only four weeks off during the summer, but would have six to eight one-week breaks throughout the year.

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Nurturing Wisdom Academy is not an accredited school. Vogel told the Plan Commission that getting accreditation from a government agency is a multi-year process for a new school.

Zion Lutheran School previously operated under the same kind of special-use permit that was approved Tuesday, but the permit needs to be re-approved because it has been more than six months since the building has been used as a school.

The school would require no additional parking; the three to five staff members Vogel said will be at the school at any given time would park in the existing school lot.

Vogel said no special work needs to go into the Zion facility between now and Aug. 20.

“We’ve just got to set up classrooms like any teacher,” she said, noting that a “homey and comfortable” atmosphere is the goal.