How a new school plans to ‘continue building on the story’ of the former Lemont Elementary
It was a “bittersweet” goodbye when the State College Area School District sold the Lemont Elementary building, but its new owners are looking forward to filling it with students again.
After purchasing the property in July, Volos Properties IV, LLC, announced plans to move into the building and use its facilities as a New Story School. The private licensed New Story Schools offer special education and behavioral health services to people up to 21 years old who are diagnosed with autism or other behavioral disorders.
“At each of our locations, New Story Schools provide intensive social, behavioral and academic interventions,” New Story Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Susan Griffith said. “Our multidisciplinary team works closely with the family, the school district and other professionals in the student’s life to create an individualized program to meet the student’s needs.”
New Story School was founded in 1997 by Paul Volosov, with 14 other locations including Clearfield, DuBois and Harrisburg.
The school will not be in the SCASD, but Griffith hopes to work with the district and for the school to be a resource for families who have a child with autism or other emotional behavioral disorders.
“We have a proven approach to addressing both academic and behavioral needs for children who aren’t able to thrive within the public school setting,” Griffith said. “We partner with public schools to support these students and work toward a return to their home school district.”
Community members voiced concern about maintaining the 80-year-old building’s exterior, so the district and Volos agreed to leave the outside facade unchanged.
Updates to classrooms and common areas will be made to better suit New Story’s needs, Griffith said. The school also has rooms that allow for more concentrated, one-on-one learning and speech, occupational therapy and counseling sessions.
In 1939, Lemont Elementary was a single-story building with eight classrooms and an office area, according to the SCASD website. An addition built five more classrooms, a library and an all-purpose room in 1966. Although the building was renovated in 1966, most of the original structure was left untouched.
“We were so excited to not only find a school building with some history, but to obtain a building that holds a part of the community’s heart,” Griffith said. “We want to maintain that feeling and continue building on the story of the Lemont School.”
New Story Schools hopes to open its State College location soon, pending construction restrictions due to COVID-19, but Griffith said they are optimistic and plan to serve students for the 2020-21 school year.
“As we all know, planning for the future in this uncertain time is difficult,” Griffith said. “We’re working toward a new opening schedule that allows us to comply with all social distancing requirements and provides for the safety of the community we aim to serve.”
