New private school in the works for Thompson Falls

A Trout Creek resident with nearly two decades of teaching experience wants to give area families another option for their children's education.

Former teacher Alicia Wenz, who has 19 years experience teaching kids from kindergarten on up, is hoping to improve the educational experience and enhance learning in the Thompson Falls area beginning this fall.

“I think it's kind of sad the way things are going in so many public schools,” she said. “Most people don’t want schools making decisions about our kids.”

Wenz has been working to establish a private school to be named the Mountain Valley Academy, a venture to increase student test scores by restoring what she refers to as the basics of education and by adding practical, vocational learning as part of the overall curriculum.

She and another area educator are in the process of securing a building from which to launch the new school, a search that has been challenging given the plan to include garden space and room for animals as part of the overall student education.

“There has been something missing in the education process these last several years,” Wenz said. “The basics of education, reading, writing and arithmetic are not being taught and as a result the students are not prepared to move on to careers or higher education.”

That’s where the garden and animals come in, a curriculum add-on that will give rural area kids a chance to learn about more than just the ABCs, which will be the highlight of their educational experience, she said.

When the school was first proposed, Wenz had enough students registered to shoot for opening grades K-4 this fall. As word spread, she added, the interest has been greater than expected. The school is now looking to begin teaching K-12 this year.

“The interest has been overwhelming,” she said. “Our proposals to allow combinations of at-school and at-home learning, along with support from parents and other members of the community has exceeded our initial expectations.

"People want a better way to educate our children, with parents playing a big role in that process.”

Originally from the Houston area, Wenz has taught a wide range of classes. She said the idea is not to make money on the venture, but to give the students a well-rounded and accredited education.

“We don’t go into teaching to get rich,” she laughed. “We are in this solely for the children."

Vocational education will also play a big role in the learning experience at Mountain Valley Academy. Wenz said many of the parents and other supporters have volunteered to teach aspects of their careers such as automotive mechanics and plumbers.

“There has been a large group of parents and others who want to help out,” she said. “We would welcome their experience and help and it will be invaluable to our students.”

The school, which has adopted the nickname “Patriots” and will feature red, white and blue as its colors, also plans to explore adding athletics in the near future.

“We want this to be a family experience,” Wenz said. “We will offer flexible schedules that could, for example, allow a student to take part in classes in the morning and work a job in the afternoon”.

The school is also developing flexible payment plans to help students and parents cover tuition.

Wenz said the school will initially open as a one-room schoolhouse, with classes forming as the school develops and grows.

“We are excited to get this going,” she said.