Nurturing Wisdom Gets Plan Commission's Support for New Hinsdale School

An alternative middle school that emphasizes more class time and customized education programs cleared the first local-government hurdle en route to opening in Hinsdale.

The Plan Commission unanimously recommended Wednesday night that the village grant Nurturing Wisdom Academy a special-use permit to operate a small school for fifth- through eighth-graders in two to three classrooms at the vacant Zion Lutheran School, 125 S. Vine St.

The five commissioners present cast their votes after Nurturing Wisdom leadership—president Pari Schacht and vice president Amanda Vogel—gave testimony about the school’s educational philosophy and physical needs during a public hearing. Chairman Neale Byrnes voted in favor of the request along with Jim Brody, Steve Cashman and Julie Crnovich. Laura Johnson abstained.

The Plan Commission’s recommendation will now be passed along to the village’s Zoning and Public Safety (ZPS) Committee, which will have the opportunity to make a recommendation to the Board of Trustees.

Village planner Sean Gascoigne said Nurturing Wisdom's special-use permit application will be on the ZPS Committee's June 25 agenda and, if it gets that body's recommendation, would likely be on the Board of Trustee's July 17 agenda.

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Nurturing Wisdom has been serving west-suburban students as an in-home private tutor service for the last seven years. It serves the Chicago and San Francisco areas, according to its website. The Hinsdale academy would be Nurturing Wisdom’s first school.

The school will enroll no more than 36 students. It aims to provide a customized education program for students whose needs aren’t being met at a traditional school. It’s not just a school for kids with special needs or advanced learners, said Vogel, who would run the school's day-to-day operations. It's also meant for kids who have intense interests, like writing or music, but might be "coasting" academically.

"They’re so passionate about these things, but they’re kind of average in the classroom," Vogel said. "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; 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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Schacht and Vogel have said they plan to open the academy this August, but don't expect to enroll their self-imposed maximum of 36 students the first year.

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

"It's something we intend to seek," Vogel said.

Physically, Nurturing Wisdom plans to make no exterior changes to Zion Lutheran School besides a sign. Schacht said even that could be scratched if the village isn’t in favor of it.

"We do not want to make any modifications to the building itself. We want to use it as it is," Vogel said. "It’s a request, to a lesser degree, for what was there previously." 

Zion Lutheran School operated under the same kind of special-use permit previously, Plan Commission chairman Byrnes said, 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.

Nurturing Wisdom's drop-off traffic, Vogel said, would precede 's preschool traffic by about 30 minutes. The school will be closed on Sunday, so it wouldn't affect church traffic on that day.