Special needs school proposed in Lake in the Hills

A conditional use permit request to open a therapeutic day school for special needs children ages 5 to 21 in Lake in the Hills will be up for consideration during Monday’s Planning and Zoning Commission meeting.

Parkland Preparatory School – a therapeutic day school licensed and regulated by the Illinois State Board of Education with programs in Streamwood, Oak Lawn and Plainfield – is looking to operate at 40 W. Acorn Lane, the former site of Children's World Learning Center.

The schools specialize in wide-spectrum autism disorders, anxiety, bipolar disorder, Down syndrome and other social emotional issues. Students are referred to Parkland by area school districts when their needs cannot be met by the district’s special education services.

At its peak enrollment, this new Parkland school would take in about 70 students and would have a staff of about 20 people. The Streamwood school serves 30 students from Lake in the Hills and other surrounding communities that would be transferring to the proposed facility, if it were approved. Parkland is anticipating a majority of students will come from within a 10-mile radius of the school’s location.

The school would operate from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with students being transported by school districts either by bus or an SUV from independent transportation companies. Students are not allowed to drive to school.

Parkland schools have no after-school or weekend activities for students.

The Planning and Zoning Commission will meet at 7:30 p.m. at Village Hall, 600 Harvest Gate.