Hyattsville's Hidden Gem: Chelsea School

If you’ve driven along East-West Highway past the PG Plaza Mall, metro station, Olive Garden, and Giant, you may have missed one of the best-kept secrets in Hyattsville: Chelsea School. Located on the top floor of the building that houses Staples, Bob’s Furniture, and LA Fitness sits a school for college-bound students with learning disabilities that has been serving children in the area for over 40 years. In 2013, the school left its former home in Silver Spring, after falling in love with the vibrant and welcoming city of Hyattsville.

“We wanted to be closer to our students’ communities,” said Co-Head of School Frank Mills. “Many of our students hail from Prince George’s County, so we seized this opportunity to move closer to where they call home. That, and the wonderful working relationship we’ve had with the city, county, and with Prince George’s Public Schools really sealed the deal for us.”

Chelsea School serves students with language-based learning disabilities (like dyslexia) as well as ADD and ADHD in grades 5-12. The school’s primary focus is literacy, and boasts one of the finest and most-effective reading remediation programs in the country. With small classes, intensive programming, and an instructional model that addresses study skills, organization, executive function, and critical thought, Chelsea School truly is a hidden gem.

“The majority of Chelsea School’s students are publicly funded and would not ordinarily be able to afford a private or nonpublic school offering the intensive instruction and low student to teacher ratio found at here,” said Kristal Weems-Bradner, Co-Head of School. “That’s why we put so many efforts into fund-raising, and now - outreach. We want to make it possible for students to get the education they need, regardless of their financial means.”

For more information about Chelsea School or to schedule a tour, go the school’s website at www.chelseaschool.edu.