Low enrollment prompts Ann Arbor high school for students with Asperger's to reorganize
Despite listing the building for sale, the head of Veritas Christi High School says the school does not plan to close and is looking forward to completing a reorganization.
Richard Nye, head of school at Veritas Christi, said the private high school was originally planned for students with Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of autism. Due to low enrollment — the school had 9 students in 2010-11 — Vertias Christi is looking to become more faith-based.
Angela Cesere | AnnArbor.com
“We want to keep our options open,” he said. “No, we do not want to close. We want to stay open. Financially, that’s going to be a challenge for us.”
Veritas Christi opened last year in the 12,000 square foot building that was built in 1997. Nye said the school is expecting about 15 students to attend the school in the 2011-12 school year, but is hoping the reorganization can result in getting a total of 35 to 40 students at the school.
Tuition for the school for next year is projected to be $15,200, Nye said.
Nye said the building has been renovated specifically for use by Veritas Christi, including seminar-style classrooms without desks, wireless access throughout the building and a waterfall in the lobby.
The building is listed for sale at $1.85 million. Veritas Christi High School is located at 410 Maple Road, southeast of Interstate 94 and Jackson Road.
Nye said the building is modeled after several college preparatory high schools in New England and he said he wanted to take that national model and bring it to Ann Arbor. However, the large, organized home-school network for students with Asperger’s Syndrome has made it a little more difficult to attract students than he had imagined.
“We’ve really looked around America and tried to make it work here for Ann Arbor,” Nye said. “But, Ann Arbor is a tough educational community and the private school here doesn’t fly nearly as easily as it might in the South. … There’s a large and well-organized home school group in Washtenaw County.”
Like most school districts, the majority of Veritas Christi’s costs are in employees and Nye said he’s reviewing how many teachers and other staff members will be needed for next year.
Even though the building is listed for sale and the school is going through a reconfiguration, Nye said there’s no reason to panic about the school’s future.
“Don’t be alarmed that the building is for sale. We just did that to keep our options open,” he said.
Kyle Feldscher covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
Comments
Dr. Thomas Beckett
Sun, Apr 29, 2012 : 12:50 p.m.
HAPPY TO SEE VERITAS CHRISTI HIGH SCHOOL IS OPEN. WE WISH THEM WELL!
Marvin
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 3:03 p.m.
In all actuality, Richard Nye resigned as Head of School at Veritas Christi prior to the end of the school year. If Veritas Christi really planned to open in the fall, why would they have their building for sale? Does that make any sense? I wonder if Mr. Nye also feels that parents shouldn't "be alarmed" that the school has shut down it's website, has released it's entire staff, and issued a letter in June announcing the end of the school? It is my sincere hope that no other parents are misled or duped into believing that this school will reopen. Its mind boggling that he is still receiving press in the Ann Arbor News….
Dr. Thomas Beckett
Sat, May 12, 2012 : 3:25 a.m.
WE HAVE A FRIEND THAT JUST ENROLLED THEIR SON AT VERITAS CHRISTI HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE 2012/2013 SCHOOL YEAR. THEY ARE VERY HAPPY AFTER CHECKING IT OUT COMPLETELY.
Silvana Graf
Wed, Jul 13, 2011 : 3:34 a.m.
I received the letter in June announcing the closing of VC
DDOT1962
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 2:41 a.m.
"We need clods as well as Gods."- Kyle's father from South Park.
Somargie
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 2:29 a.m.
ok
cette
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 1:24 a.m.
How well could the schools be managing if there's two private schools for HFA and a large contingent of homeschooled ASD kids? It's terrible indictment of the failure of public schools to serve this population adequately, much less well.
lkelliot
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 1:21 a.m.
hello everyone, I bring a unique perspective on this discussion since I have asperger's syndrome. I attended public schools in Jackson, Michigan did well and went to UM and graduated and obtained a MBA from EMU last year. I went to school during the 80s and early 90s before aspergers syndrome was listed as a DSM-IV disorder by the American Psychological Association. I don't know if a school for students with aspergers syndrome would have helped me when I was going to school but I am all for schools that will help kids with aspergers syndrome. These kids could get the individual attention(therapy) they need. Now that I think about it, I think a school like that would have helped me if not for anything else, it would have given me exposure to the therapy that those with asperger's such as myself would need in order to help deal with the social issues that come from having asperger's . Thank you for reading.
joe.blow
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 10:47 p.m.
If my money is going to a group of "Special students." I hope the same amount of money is being spent on gifted students so that someday we can have a few more Einsteins instead of just smart high school grads. This is what's wrong with this country, we spend money on non-normal people to make them appear normal and cut back on gifted students as they will do fine without help instead of phenomenal.
Silvana Graf
Wed, Jul 13, 2011 : 3:22 a.m.
Joe, Einstein was Asperger.
ViSHa
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 4:03 a.m.
"non-normal"?
Meredith Schindler
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 10:27 p.m.
We have worked with Veritas Christi, actually, and want them to succeed. As one commenter mentioned, their atmosphere is very different than ours (although I wouldn't cast our school dynamic in quite the same light as that commenter, we are a busier space, with more sensory stimulation), and their population was, I thought during my visit there, well served. What frustrates me is that a casual reader of our city's main news outlet wouldn't know that there are other opportunities out there for students on the spectrum, and that it is a bit of a disservice to the community at large to have them think that, especially when the school they have chosen to cover is going through an overhaul that appears to be at odds with its originally stated mission. You don't go into education to get rich, and you definitely don't go into education with the mindset of profiting from others' misfortune. You do, however, go into education because you believe that you can make a difference in the lives of children, and the more students that can be helped by their parents' knowledge of available educational alternatives, the better.
Silvana Graf
Wed, Jul 13, 2011 : 3:30 a.m.
I visited both schools and would not send my Aspie to AAA. I appreciate the great job you do for some, but my son would not like that loud/somewhat chaotic environment. I also hope that some day you get the funds necessary to improve your facilty. I think it's best for the ADHD types. Aspies are more nerdy in general, they like peace and quiet to develop their geniuses! We were hoping to start at VC in the Fall, but that did not work. We need another school now.
D
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 9:35 p.m.
It seems as if there is a lot of uncertainty with this entire situation. There must not be much confidence in the reorganization plan if they feel the need to put the building up for sale. It seems reasonable that their numbers were low for the first year - why is the next step to put the building up for sale? I had to reread the article to see if I missed the reorganization plan. Nope, didn't miss it. This would have been a perfect opportunity to share the reorganization plan so people could look forward to where the school is heading next fall. As was mentioned in a previous AnnArbor.com article (<a href="http://www.annarbor.com/business-review/ann-arbor-educator-starting-michigans-1st-high-school-for-students-with-autism-aspergers/)">http://www.annarbor.com/business-review/ann-arbor-educator-starting-michigans-1st-high-school-for-students-with-autism-aspergers/)</a> about the opening of the school, class sizes need to be small to meet the needs of this demographic. If funding is already an issue, how are they going to hire more staff to keep those class sizes down? Also, what about the current staff? What will happen to them if the reorganization does not work - will they be without a job all of a sudden if they don't get enough students? I hope that the 9 students that attended Veritas Christi High School last year find a place to go if the school closes. It would be a shame if they had to say goodbye to their peers and teachers after just one year.
John B.
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 9:09 p.m.
That building (pictured) looks like the Absolute Title building on West Liberty near the condos. that were built on the old driving range the other side of I-94...? I've driven past the Veritas sign on Maple, but all that is there is a storage facility. I'll be darned if I can find any school.... Are they in a space in the storage facility? Where exactly are they located?
ViSHa
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 8:31 p.m.
How does a story about a school devoted to the Asperger population having enrollment problems turn into a whine and cheese party about a similar school (who is apparently doing well) not getting similar coverage?
seldon
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 12:03 a.m.
Let me be a little more direct as to why I think Ann Arbor Academy should have been mentioned: I think that the existence of the other school disproves, or at least weakens, Veritas Christi's principal's explanation for why they aren't getting enough students: "But, Ann Arbor is a tough educational community and the private school here doesn't fly nearly as easily as it might in the South. … There's a large and well-organized home school group in Washtenaw County." Yeah, well, it flies for Ann Arbor Academy, which suggests that his theory is a bit off. Maybe it is the religious aspect (especially given his comment about home-schooling, which is a practice more frequent among some religious subgroups), maybe not. But I wouldn't accept the explanation at face value when someone else is succeeding in bringing the students in. And not accepting stuff at face value, or at least putting it in context, is what I'd like to see in news reporting.
ViSHa
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 11:34 p.m.
Also, I do agree with you that the religious undertones just by it's name probably has a lot to do with this school's low enrollment. I imagine some parents had to wrestle with that.
ViSHa
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 11:18 p.m.
While I understand and respect what you are saying, seldon, I still am not sure I agree. When aa.com did two stories on Summers Knoll moving, they did not list or discuss all the other private schools and their enrollment and building size. While it wouldn't have hurt to mention Ann Arbor Academy, I don't think it was an absolute necessary part of the story.
seldon
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 9:49 p.m.
In my case, I'm commenting on it because it seems strange to write an article about one school which serves this highly specialized population without mentioning and contrasting it with the other one. I have no link to Ann Arbor Academy. However, when the principal of one school cites specific reasons for the lack of students and those reasons don't seem to be affecting the other school, that seems like the kid of thing a reporter should have known and talked about. My suspicion is that what's actually going on is that while there are plenty of parents of Aspergers kids who are willing (and can afford) to send their kids to a specialized school, there aren't enough RELIGIOUS parents of Aspergers kids in that boat. Or if there are, they're homeschooling. In other words, I would have liked to see a deeper dive on this.
John B.
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 9:17 p.m.
Because this 'news' organization cannot be trusted. Witness several recent 'stories.'
emily
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 8:30 p.m.
My family was able to tour Veritas Christi, and their facility is amazing. It is obvious that the designers knew their target population, and that the environment would be perfect for any child with Asperger Syndrome. There is a beautiful water feature at the entryway that sets a calming tone and produces white noise. The seminar rooms are well organized, and the students seemed extremely comfortable, even with strangers visiting, which is out of the everyday routine. I also toured Ann Arbor Academy. I think that the original intent for the school was to serve children with ADHD, a population that has different needs than those on the Autism Spectrum. The building itself is open plan, the atmosphere is busy and noisy and there seems to be a high level of unorganized activity in general. This could be quite overstimulating for children with sensory problems, and who thrive with a routine in place. My point is that the two institutions, while each serving their purpose, are quite different from one another. And yes, I agree with "obviouscomment" that it does seem in poor taste for one school to attempt to profit off of another's misfortune.
cette
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 10:04 p.m.
It's actually good if the atmosphere isn't overly controlled, what Aspies need is to acclimate more to the real world, not find an ivory tower to hang out in. They absolutely need to deal with out of routine events, that's called life. It was a little unseemly to call attention to Ann Arbor Academy, and while Meredith S. notes that about one hundred have graduated, hundreds have attended, so the graduation rate isn't that high either. High priced ASD schools aren't good answers to educating the high functioning autistic, especially when they are both in reality struggling with their populations.
John B.
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 9:16 p.m.
But it's OK for you to slam the 'other school?'
seldon
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 5:35 p.m.
It's remarkable to me that they could write this story without once referencing and contrasting Ann Arbor Academy, the OTHER her private school in town that specializes in Aspergers kids. The one that's actually succeeding. In fact, when I read the story, I assumed that meant Ann Arbor Academy had folded. It's possible that Ann Arbor Academy might just be failing to hit annarbor.com with enough public relations messages. This may be laziness on the part of reporters who find it easier to write stories that come to them rather than hunting stories down. Or it may be the known conservative bias of annarbor.com's publishers... but I'm betting on sheer laziness and lack of community knowledge.
John B.
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 9:15 p.m.
Probably both.
thehawk
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 4:46 p.m.
Instead of focusing more on religion, you should drop the religion and charter the school so anyone could attend. After paying out of pocket for autism therapy and supports, who has money left over to pay tuition for school? I certainly don't. And if I did, I would have to choose which of my kids with Aspergers could attend. I certainly couldn't send both to a private school. Great idea. Wrong approach.
cette
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 11:36 p.m.
Charters in this state are primarily for profit and teaching special ed kids is not profitable. And that's not even talking about accountability issues with charters in this state. In Minnesota, ABA therapy is covered by insurance, so it's a different situation with the kids, and with the support schools are getting with their students. ABA is not covered in this state, and that's a large reason the situation is so dire for ASD kids in this state.
obviouscomment
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 7:10 p.m.
i think the point is that they could be a charter school designed for special ed
cette
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 5:01 p.m.
Charters do terrible special ed service...
Goofus
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 4:42 p.m.
It also probably didn't help that the school looks, from the outside, like a storage center.
Goofus
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 4:40 p.m.
I think the primary reason this failed is that it's too expensive. The second reason is that religion probably doesn't mix too well with special education. I know I wouldn't want to send my Asperger's child to a religious faith-based school...I'd want to the latest in clinical and theraputic approaches to working with someone with this disorder...not old-tyme religion.
Meredith Schindler
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 3:01 p.m.
Again, we have a school in Ann Arbor that has been meeting the needs of students on the autism spectrum, as well as students with other non-traditional learning styles, for fifteen years. Ann Arbor Academy has educated literally hundreds of students over the years, and we are approaching the one hundred alumni mark. Our graduates work in many different fields, roughly 85% of them go to college, and several at this point have received or are working on advanced degrees. I feel a little bit like a voice in the wilderness over here - Veritas Christi, a fine institution, has continued to receive press from annarbor.com, even in their reorganization, but the school that has been around, getting the job done, and growing, isn't getting that attention somehow. We have not found ourselves in competition with a homeschooling network - homeschooling is appropriate for some children, but not for all. In our experience, it takes time to build a base of students, but there are plenty of kids who aren't thriving in a traditional learning environment, and that's who we're here for. We have been here for a long time, we are excellent, and we are enrolling students. Our website is <a href="http://www.annarboracademy.org" rel='nofollow'>www.annarboracademy.org</a>.
John B.
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 9:14 p.m.
... or maybe VC is the kind of organization that a2.com likes to support. I can't even find the place, and I tried. Is it inside the storage facility? If so, that seems odd - how could they have the building for sale? The photo. in this story looks like Absolute Title, which is near this location, but about a half-mile away, across I-94, on West Liberty.
emily
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 8:28 p.m.
Well said, obviouscomment!
obviouscomment
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 7:04 p.m.
maybe the reason your school hasn't been mentioned is because you are doing fine and don't need the help that veritas christi needs...or maybe it's because they contacted annarbor.com and you didnt...either way...isn't it a little selfish to try to draw attention away from the school that is striving to do good and provide a more personalized education for children with asperger's?
John B.
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 5:20 p.m.
Meredith: a2.com generally only promotes right-wing / RepubliKan organizations, sorry.
cette
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 4:44 p.m.
Homeschooling is very seldom appropriate especially for Aspergers. It's manifests the failure of the schools to commit to doing what they need to in order to educate HFA's. They don't know how to do it, and resists learning how to do it properly. It's a copout by any school district to say kids needs to be homeschooled.
UtrespassM
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 2:34 p.m.
The kids with Asperger's are very bright and sensitive, the don't be labeled. Same as their parents, they want the teachers can understand their kids, treat them as a "normal " student as the rest. The national wide problem is the teachers want all the kids made from same assemble line, don't want to spend time and energy to respect very individual kids differently, teach them effectively. actually our teachers are over paid if count the hours they used for teaching.
UtrespassM
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 2:42 p.m.
The kids with Asperger's are very bright and sensitive, the don't want to be labeled. Same as their parents, they want the teachers can understand their kids, treat the student with Asperger's as a "normal " student as the rest in the school. The national wide problem is that the teachers wish all the kids made from the same assemble line, they don't want to spend time and energy to respect every individual kid's their difference, and teach them effectively. Actually, our teachers are over paid currently if we count the hours that they spend for teaching.
cette
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 1:49 p.m.
I would like to see higher expectations of the Michigan Educational system and of the Asperger kids themselves. They can do very, very well, with the right behavior management, individualized, and with more attention paid to correcting the kids skill set deficits. In many ways, they are the most neglected and poorly managed special education children in the Michigan system, and yet they are quite amenable to good treatment.
cette
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 1:13 a.m.
Most parents don't know what would be the best practice for Asperger management. There's a tremendous amount of bad management, bad theory and bad practice out there. It's not that the parents aren't trying, they are. There is just not good service going on in the schools.
cette
Tue, Jul 12, 2011 : 1:11 a.m.
That they are diagnosed Asperger's in the first place.
sh1
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 10:38 p.m.
What is your evidence that these students are the "most neglected and poorly managed"? Their parents would have to sign an IEP allowing that negligence to occur, and most parents of children with Asperger's are quite well versed in the law.
seldon
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 1:08 p.m.
Aspergers students are a small enough population, and when you further narrow your scope by being a religious school, you've got a pretty small base to draw from. (And if they aren't a religious school, then calling it "Veritas Christi" was a huge mistake.)
Silvana Graf
Wed, Jul 13, 2011 : 3:18 a.m.
I agree, and Mr. Nye had plenty of warning about that in the planning stages. The name scared away all the non-christian families...and even some christian ones who relate Latin religious names to VERY conservative branches of the Catholic Church.
Mike
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 3:55 p.m.
Public schools are the answer I guess. Just need more money and everything will be OK. Most religious schools flourish including the muslim academies, go figure..........
Parent Who Cares
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 12:35 p.m.
Wish this school well. I have a nephew with Asperger's Syndrome. After many years of frustrating experiences with the MN public school system, he now attends a charter school in Minneapolis for children with Asperger's. This is probably the best model I've ever seen. <a href="http://lionsgateacademy.org/" rel='nofollow'>http://lionsgateacademy.org/</a> I also have a son who is autistic. The MI public school system is providing him an outstanding educational experience. Never once felt we needed to explore another option. But Lionsgate is well worth a visit by Veritas administrators if you want to see this work at it's finest!
Davidian
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 11:52 a.m.
God isn't going to help.
cette
Mon, Jul 11, 2011 : 11:17 a.m.
I think a school just for Asperger kids is going to be a problem. Homeschooling Aspie kids are homeschooled because they don't have the behavior sets or skills sets to manage, and those kids absence from attending school won't change until they recieve competent treatment and education for their skills set deficits, then they go to schools, and it wouldn't have to be an "Asperger School", they could just go to school.