Mount Prospect approves facility for at-risk middle school, high school students
An educational facility serving at-risk middle and high school students from across northern Cook County is opening in Mount Prospect's Kensington Business Center.
The village board Tuesday granted the North Cook Intermediate Service Center a conditional use to operate at 852 Feehanville Drive.
The academy will provide alternative education programs to students in grades 6-12 struggling with behavioral issues or academic and social-emotional challenges.
The center plans to relocate its Des Plaines facility by the 2026-27 school year. It serves 41 educational organizations in northern Cook County.
The renovated 63,000-square-foot building will contain the center's offices and its North Cook Young Adult Academy, which will open with about 40 students and is expected to grow to a maximum of 120, with a 3-to-1 student-to-staff ratio.
The academy includes the Regional Safe School Program, serving students who have been suspended, expelled or are facing expulsion and require a structured placement outside their traditional school environment. Students remain enrolled in their home districts and receive diplomas from them. It also offers the Alternative Learning Opportunities Program for students facing distractions or social-emotional barriers in a traditional setting.
Trustee William Grossi raised concerns about the latter, noting the proximity to a school serving students with special needs.
“I'm trying to make sure that we have a buffer here so we don't hurt the students at the other school,” he said.
Students will arrive and depart via licensed transportation providers, primarily taxis. The building will operate with single-point entry, locked doors, round-the-clock surveillance, monitored access and ID checks for visitors. Staff will also be trained in CPR, AED use and nonviolent crisis intervention.
“Our students — I hate to use the term 'last chance' — but we have a very serious entry process,” the center’s Assistant Executive Director Allison Slade said of the Regional Safe School Program, noting the family and student have to sign an agreement committing to behavioral change.
The building will also house a health center, a food pantry, a testing center for educators and professionals seeking licensing or certifications, and a gymnasium available for community activities on evenings and weekends.
“I think that it’s a unique opportunity for us to show not only kindness, but partnership with an educational leader in academia,” while also providing specialized educational pathways for students who are challenged,” Trustee Terri Gens said.