A UNIQUE CHARTER SCHOOL The Learning Center, Which Moved To The Western Communities Earlier This Year, Serves Students With Autism
STORY BY JOSHUA MANNING | PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN
The Learning Center, a charter school serving children with autism, moved to the western communities earlier this year, adding to the diversity of educational options available in the community. In order to open in time for the current school year, this unique school needed support from the Village of Royal Palm Beach after being left without a home on short notice. “The Palm Beach County School District and the Village of Royal Palm Beach all worked together to make this possible,” Executive Director Stacie Routt said. “We feel that we pulled off a small miracle to make this happen, and the children are flourishing.” 48 december 2023 | wellington the magazine
The school, which serves students ages 3 to 14, with plans to add high school grades next year, originated in 1999 and was one of the first charter schools in the State of Florida. Back then, it operated out of a church building in Palm Beach Gardens. “We started with six students, and now we have 150 students, which is our capacity,” Routt said. “We provide services for children with autism.” Most recently, the nonprofit, tuition-free charter school operated out of a location in Jupiter. However, a disagreement with their lease renewal over the summer gave the Learning Center less than 30 days’ notice to move from
their previous location and find a new home. “We found this beautiful facility that was a pre-existing school, and it met the needs of our students,” Routt said. “We were able to move in quickly and open for the start of the school year.” Luckily, the school only needed to do cosmetic upgrades before opening and didn’t need to move any walls. There was sanding and painting, as well as being sanitized and prepared for fire safety. Located at the northeast corner of Royal Palm Beach and Southern boulevards in the Royal Plaza, the site had been the longtime home of Western