The Boulder County Commissioners Thursday unanimously approved the expansion of the Hillside School after hearing emotional testimony from parents and a former student about the importance of the school for children with dyslexia.
“Please make sure this happens,” parent Kym Hansler told the commissioners during a public hearing. “If they could quadruple the size (of the school) I would give them my house.”
Hansler said her 11-year-old son attends Hillside, which currently serves 32 students in its 4,262-square-foot campus on Lookout Road in Gunbarrel. She said her son considered ending his life before he enrolled at the private school.
She said the school’s expansion would give new life to a lot of kids, like her son, who struggle with dyslexia. “Every decision you make is literally saving the lives of children.”
“Hillside is more than just a school … it also teaches you how to be brave and how to be kind,” Shannon Isenhart, a former Hillside student, told the commissioners.
After a two-hour review of the school’s plans, the commissioners approved the building of a new 14,284-square-foot facility at the Hillside campus that includes 13 classrooms for 36 students. Half of the 136 students would attend a morning session and the other half would attend an afternoon session, said County Planner Sam Walker.
The expansion is needed to accommodate the special needs of Hillside students Walker said. They require different modes of learning and to move into different learning environments throughout the day to help them refocus, he said.
There are also four students to one teacher at Hillside, a situation that calls for more space, Walker said. “The student body has some special needs this school is trying to meet,” he said.
Commissioners applauded the work of the school but voiced concerns about the expansion fitting in with a residential neighborhood. Dropping off and picking up students during the day could be especially chaotic, Commissioner vice-chair Claire Levy said.
“We are creating two mini rush hours,” Levy said.
The commissioners approved the expansion with conditions including locking down long-term, legal access to parking for the facility at a neighboring church.
The school also must produce a clear plan for where the students can be picked up and when during the school day.
“I need to make it clear this is not about the value of what you do,” Levy said. “It’s about land use and it’s about local impact.”
