Special needs elementary school coming to Westlake

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Julie Billiart Schools, Catholic schools for students with learning differences to open third campus on Crocker Road In August of 2021.

[Westlake, OH, September 23, 2020] Julie Billiart Schools, a network of Catholic K-8 schools for children with learning differences, is poised to open its third campus in August of 2021. The new school, located at 3600 Crocker Rd. in Westlake, Ohio, is strategically designed and staffed to support children with mild to moderate autism, ADD/ADHD, anxiety, dyslexia, and other learning differences.

On Tuesday, Sept. 22, the Julie Billiart Schools Board of Directors approved JB Westlake to open in the fall of 2021 to grades K-4. In following years, the school will open to grades K-8.

“We’re so excited to bring the JB Way to the West Side and service families who have been looking for a solution for their child’s educational needs,” said JB Westlake Principal Samantha Evers, M.Ed. “We appreciate the incredible support we’ve already received from parishes, community partners, and providers on the West Side and look forward to making strong connections with our new community.”

For almost 70 years, JB students have benefitted from individualized instruction, small class sizes and onsite therapies. In 1954, the Sisters of Notre Dame opened the first Julie Billiart School to 14 students. In 2017, the school expanded from the flagship campus in Lyndhurst to a new campus in Akron. Julie Billiart Schools’ growth is intentional and responsible to ensure students receive the same level of care, excellence and opportunity at each campus.

“Our students in Akron and Lyndhurst inspire us every single day and remind us of the thousands of other children across Northeast Ohio that deserve love, acceptance, and belonging in a school,” said Julie Billiart Schools’ President/CEO Lannie Davis-Frecker. “That’s why we are thrilled to announce a third Julie Billiart School in Westlake, Ohio. JB Westlake will offer the same innovative approach, onsite therapies, and individualized education that JB Lyndhurst and JB Akron provide.”

JB Westlake students will enjoy a modern, spacious school building with sensory-friendly classrooms, a large gym, therapy rooms, specially-designed quiet zones, and plenty of space to learn and play. The school will offer a 6:1 student-teacher ratio in primary grades and an 8:1 ratio for grades 3-8, two intervention specialists per grade, an onsite Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), and onsite speech, occupational, music, and art therapies.

The new school is conveniently located on Crocker Road, just two miles south of the family-friendly shopping and dining district, Crocker Park. The school is the former location of Einstein Academy. It is unaffiliated with any Westlake churches or schools and will be accredited by the Ohio Catholic Schools Accrediting Association (OCSAA) as part of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland through the State of Ohio. The school will follow the Cleveland Catholic Diocese and Ohio Department of Education course of studies. Julie Billiart Schools are providers of the Jon Peterson Scholarship and the Autism Scholarship Programs. All JB students in Lyndhurst and Akron receive some form of tuition support.

JB Westlake will hold virtual and in-person (space limited) Interested Parent Open Houses beginning in October. Interested families should visit the JB website, complete an interest form, and register for an Interested Parent Open House. To learn more, visit juliebilliartschool.org/westlake.

Downloand High Res Photos

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Media Contact:
Samantha Voshall
Director of Marketing, Julie Billiart Schools
svoshall@jbschool.org
814-279-0616
www.juliebilliartschools.org

Julie Billiart Schools, a community of schools with campuses in Lyndhurst, Akron, and a third opening in Westlake in 2021, strive to build self-confidence, inspire Christian values, and empower K-8 students with skills, knowledge, and enthusiasm for life-long learning. Small class sizes, onsite specialized therapies, and highly experienced intervention specialists are just a few ways that Julie Billiart Schools take students with high functioning autism, ADD/ADHD, dyslexia, and other learning difficulties beyond education, and beyond expectations.

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