Palatine Council OKs Montessori School — With Conditions
After giving the issue more consideration following the Nov. 13 Palatine Village Council meeting, the owner of a proposed Montessori school decided she could live with certain conditions the village wanted to impose before her plans were ultimately approved Dec. 4.
Mallory Miller requested opening a new Montessori school, Grow Montessori Academy, in the ground floor tenant space at 600 N. First Bank Dr., across from the Palatine Public Library.
However, in November when the matter was first heard by councilmen, concerns were raised about start times and the number of students that would be housed under one roof, along with potential traffic issues and noise disturbing other nearby businesses.
The matter was continued from Nov. 13 to Dec. 4 to give her more time to determine whether the conditions would be suitable to her business. In the end, she agreed.The conditions she must follow include having a 6-foot wooden fence on the west side of the playground and removal of the basketball structure, limiting the class enrollment to 50 (to be submitted to the village in September and February each school year), and allowing CW the village manager to impose start/dismissal time adjustments to address any identified traffic management issues within the office park. Should she want to increase enrollment at any time, she would need to go through the public hearing process again and be granted approval by the council before any increase to enrollment occurs.
The school will include a 3,500 sq. ft. outdoor play area north of the building. Existing parking stalls will be reconfigured to make space for the outdoor play area.
Once the academy becomes more established, the submitted business plan indicates additional classes would be offered for toddlers and adolescents (12-14 years old). The initial student enrollment estimate includes 5-7 students (ages 3 to 6) and 6-10 students (ages 6 to 12).
There will be three total staff members to start, which would eventually grow to a maximum of 10 staff members once fully established.
The school will operate Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Once all programs are fully implemented, there will be an option for after-school enrichment until 5:30 p.m.
Drop-off times will be staggered from 7:50 to 8 a.m. for elementary and 8:05 to 8:15 a.m. for primary. An addendum indicates that all parents would be advised on procedures to avoid congestion issues.