Julia Maloney is homeschooling her daughter who has autism and needs personalized instruction, but she would like her child to return to a classroom. Melodie Beaver would love to go back to work, but public schools don’t have after care for her three children who have significant needs due to autism. Steve Hartz wants his son to have access to the same clubs and sports as children who are not on the spectrum. They dream of a school with staff trained specifically for children with autism and programs geared just for their child in a room with a low student-to-teacher ratio.
Their wishes are about to come true. The new Autism Collier Charter School was recently approved and will open in August 2025. The school is a dream for Stephanie Nordin whose twin sons have bounced from public school to private and back to public, as she seeks the right environment for them.
“Collier County Public Schools has come so far, but we have a lot of kids with a lot of different needs,” Nordin said. Starting Autism Collier Charter School “is what we can do where everyone wins.”
Locally, public schools offer programs for children with special needs, but there is not a program specifically for youngsters with autism who do not have significant behaviors. Most public schools also don’t offer before and after care for students who have significant needs and there are few clubs and activities for them. The new school will have all of this and much more. Best of all, it will be tuition free.
“Families are going to be so excited to have an option,” said Jen Mitchell, president of the board of the new charter school. “It has to be tuition free because cost is a barrier for so many families.”
“Here, everything will be with the autistic learner in mind, from the furniture and the lighting to the staffing,” explained Emily Kafle, the school’s new principal. “And we are making sure we are true to the 3-1 student-to-teacher ratio.”
Plans are for nine children with a teacher and two aides in each room.
“The 3-1 teacher-student ratio will help to keep [my daughter] on task,” Maloney said. “She has trouble focusing and retaining. Having that kind of attention for each student will make a difference in retention.”
Plethora of programs
Nordin said one of the biggest benefits of the new school is the wide range of after-school programs that will be offered – drama, dance, music, sports, and more. Plus, students will have the freedom to create clubs aligned with their interests. ACCS also will offer an extended school year program and summer camp, which is enthusiastically supported by local families, given the limited summer camp options for children with special needs.
A dream realized
Nordin worked tirelessly to bring the dream of this school to fruition. In February 2022, one of her twins almost died when he jumped through a glass window on the second story of his private school. Nordin vowed to find a better place for her children’s education.
“The concept of the school was my idea,” Nordin explained. “I started looking into what other options were available for students.” Charter schools for children with autism are taking root around the nation. An internet search led her to South Florida Autism Charter School in Hialeah. “I called them and asked about a tour.”
She corralled Mitchell, who had just completed her term on the CCPS school board, to join the mission to bring a similar school here.
“Jen [Mitchell] said yes and we had a big group go over to Hialeah. That is where the vision took root,” Nordin said.
Pleased parents
Parents of children with autism are beyond excited about a school created just for their children. They feel secure knowing that staff will be trained to handle their child’s specific needs, and they are happy that their children will have access to the same things as students in traditional classes.
“Gavin loves music,” Nordin said about one of her twins. “Last year he didn’t even have a music class.”
Maloney drives her 16-year-old daughter to Starability, Special Olympics, and the Naples Players. “To get kids to all the different activities is tough, so it would be great [to do] all this under one roof,” she said.
Maloney has been homeschooling her daughter due to some bullying and the larger class sizes in public schools, so she looks forward to having her child return to the classroom.
“I am ecstatic,” she exclaimed. “This is a dream of mine. We have needed this in Collier for her whole life.”
“I am super excited about this,” added Melodie Beaver, who adopted three children ages 5, 6, and 9, all of whom have autism. The public school system “is great for some [children with autism] … but not for others. It does not work well for my children. I can’t tell you how excited I am for this. There is such a need in Collier County.”
Beaver is especially pleased about finally having after-school care. She had to quit her job when the after-school program at her children’s school refused to let them attend. “That is a game changer,” she exclaimed.
Steve Hartz’s 13-year-old son loves technology, so Hartz is looking forward to his child joining a club focusing on tech. He also is happy that his son will have some traditional school experiences.
“They have talked about having Homecoming,” Hartz noted. “As a parent, these are the things you think [your kid] will never have an opportunity to do.”
Olivia Narizzano’s son will start kindergarten next fall. Until she heard about the new autism school, she was worried about her his future. “There are so many options [for school], but none of them really work,” she said. “This is such a relief. There will be some place in town where my son will be embraced and accepted.”
Winning the lottery
These parents are hoping their children will be in the inaugural class next August. But not everyone will be able to attend right away. The first year the K-12 school will have space for only 65 students. That will double to 130 the following year and then increase to 260 the next, and eventually to 300. Students will be chosen using a lottery system. More than 215 applications already have been filed.
“It is heartbreaking that we don’t have room for them all,” Mitchell said. “There is so much interest.”
There are about 1,500 CCPS students who are on the autism spectrum.
Mitchell said the school has to start small to ensure success, which means hiring the most highly qualified, well-trained staff.
All classes will be taught by certified teachers. Kafle has been working in special education for 20 years. She worked at a charter school for autism in Minnesota and was most recently director of special education for CCPS. Kafle, Mitchell, and Nordin are also co-founders of the school.
The school is being embraced by Collier County education officials.
ACCS “highlights that, while Collier County boasts excellent schools and strong support for students with disabilities, ACCS will provide another choice for parents specifically tailored to the needs of students with significant autism and their families,” said Leslie Ricciardelli, CCPS superintendent. She noted that the school is open to students from any Florida county.
Funding fundamentals
Funding for ACCS is from the same source as other public schools – the state – and is based on the number of students. The operating budget for the first year will be $2.8 million. The Autism Collier Resource Center was recently created to pay for all the extras, like the before and after care, clubs, and sports. “ACRC is seeking grants and fundraising to [pay for these extra programs]. If you are looking to help, reach out,” Mitchell said.
Getting ready
The site for the new school will be announced soon. Applications are available online for future students and staff. Now parents are hoping their children can secure a place through the lottery.
“I am excited about a school that will have everything,” Maloney said. “It is needed here in Collier.”
“I am so excited to have a school that is dedicated to these kids,” Beaver added.
Nordin’s life changed the day her son jumped out the school window. It set her on a path to champion for a better life for children with autism and their parents. She has fought for laws to be changed in Tallahassee and won that battle, and now she is winning her quest for a better education for her twins and so many others in the community.
“The day of the tragedy, I turned it into something positive,” Nordin concluded.
Visit www.autismcolliercharter.org for information about an upcoming virtual open house and student interest form.