Entrance to Lesley Ellis at former Gibbs; at right, Center for the Arts. / Bob Sprague photo
Schools for Children Inc. announced Wednesday, May 11, that it will relocate two of the schools it manages — Dearborn Academy, a special-education therapeutic day school, and Lesley Ellis School, an independent school serving children in preschool through grade eight.
Dearborn Academy will move from its Winter Street location in East Arlington to 575 Washington St., Newton, the former home of CATS Academy.
The Lesley Ellis School will move from a leased space in the former Gibbs School to 34 Winter St, a building owned by Schools for Children and used by Dearborn.
In January, YourArlington reported that Lesley Ellis Could move to Winter Street.
Both schools trace their lineage to Lesley University and have been serving children for over 65 years.
The announcement marks the first crucial step after nine months of concern for four Gibbs tenants as public-school officials looked for ways to addressed expanding enrollment. On Monday, the School Committee voted unanimously to endorse a recommendation of the School Enrollment Task Force to repurpose the former Gibbs.
Eyeing rellocations by 2017-18
As to when these moves may occur, Alison Kenney, representing Schools for Children, said, “We anticipate having both schools in their new homes for the 2017-18 school year.”
“Schools for Children has long been interested in providing facilities for all our programs that can support their missions, make room for growth, and serve their communities well,” said Schools for Children Executive Director Ted Wilson in a news release. “We also believe that school buildings can inspire the richer learning and teaching of our students.
“When we learned last summer that the town of Arlington might not be renewing the lease on the building that had been the home of the Lesley Ellis School for the past 28 years, we accelerated our timeline for new facilities. Our board and our leadership carefully studied the options and considered dozens of locations before we made our decision. We negotiated and recently signed a lease for new space in Newton to serve as the new home of Dearborn Academy.
“We’re excited about the expanded programming and services we’ll be able to provide our special-education students in Newton. Dearborn’s move from Arlington is not easy after 30 years, but the opportunities this new location presents are exceptional. Look for Dearborn to set a new, higher standard in special education in the coming years.”
50 percent more space
The new facility at Washington Street in Newton has almost 50 percent more program space than Dearborn’s current home, has well-lighted classrooms, large halls and common areas, a full-size modern gym, centralized heat and cooling systems, plenty of off-street parking and ample room to expand upon the range of specialized services required by Dearborn’s students.
The building’s proximity to major transportation routes and primary referral sources and the fact that it is almost a turnkey situation given the major improvements completed in the past three years, make this a huge opportunity for the future of Dearborn Academy.
Former Board chair Sally Currier toured the facility recently and was impressed, saying, “Securing it would be a significant step forward for the school.”
Asked about the move to Newton, Dearborn Director Dr. Howard Rossman, who is retiring, said in the release: “I have seen incredible positive change over the many years I have been at Dearborn Academy. Our staff has always prioritized the needs of our students, their families and guardians, and our programming, staffing, and expertise have all been molded to meet these needs. The relocation of Dearborn Academy is another change for the school but is one that presents opportunities for the future. I’m confident that the sense of mission and passion among our dedicated staff and the management team at Schools for Children will guide this transition and secure the future of Dearborn Academy.”
Wilson added: “Throughout the past three decades, Howard has dedicated himself to the Dearborn program and its students. He has built a widely-respected and stable leadership team at Dearborn that will welcome and support the school’s next director and will work together to see the Dearborn program thrive into the future.”
Lesley Ellis to stay in town
The Lesley Ellis School has made its home in Arlington since 1989. Wilson said this move “will allow Lesley Ellis to move from the multi-tenant environment in the Gibbs to a beautiful, historic building right here in Arlington that we already own. It is a former Arlington elementary school [Crosby] that has been cared for by Dearborn Academy in partnership with Schools for Children. It will now become a home for the exclusive use of Lesley Ellis School.”
Lesley Ellis Head of School Deanne Benson said in the release: “Lesley Ellis is growing. The demand for our intimate, project-based approach in a robust academic environment is greater than ever. Families know and love us for our sophisticated science program, innovative arts curriculum, and award-winning anti-bias program.”
This year, the school will graduate its first eighth-grade class. “As interest in Lesley Ellis has steadily grown over the years so, too, has the need for more space and a location that Lesley Ellis can call home for decades to come,” says Director of Admission Tricia Moran. “We’re very excited about this move and the fact that we will continue to be a locally accessible independent school.”
Dearborn Academy is one of New England’s leading state-approved special education day schools, serving children with emotional, social and learning challenges in separate elementary/middle and high school programs. Learn more at www.dearbornacademy.org.
The Lesley Ellis School is an independent school – serving early childhood, elementary and middle school students through grade eight – in Arlington, Massachusetts. Learn more at www.lesleyellis.org.
Schools for Children Inc. is a Massachusetts nonprofit organization creating and managing great schools and educational services, currently operating several schools, a before- and after-school program and a Short Term Educational Placement service. Schools for Children also develops new education services and innovations and consults with other schools, districts and human service providers to enhance the quality and performance of their programs.
The other three tenants needing find new space are the Center for the Arts, Learn to Grow and the Kelliher Center.
This report was published Wednesday, May 11, 2016.
