St. Nicholas Academy, a free boarding school in Jefferson City for under-resourced boys, now has one child who attends - but it still needs more applicants.
The boarding school is dedicated to partnering with families to help boys "grow physically, emotionally, intellectually, socially, spiritually and educationally," according to its recruitment flyer. It provides education at St. Peter Interparish School in Jefferson City.
St. Nicholas Academy has had one student since the beginning of this school year, and he's doing well getting accustomed, said founder Elizabeth Huber, who is director of Huber & Associates.
"He's been doing really well, so I'm very excited about that - but we need more kids, and we're working hard to get the message out," she said.
The school is currently looking for two or three more children ages 5-10, she said. Eventually, it will accommodate up to 12 boys who can live there through high school.
"We are finding that the little guy we have we really think would benefit from some company," Huber said. "Our house parents are great playmates, but not as good as another little person would be."
St. Nicholas Academy has two trained, live-in house parents - Funtez and Unique Robinson - whose paid job is to provide guidance, support and discipline to the boys who live there. The house parents have every fourth weekend off, when relief parents come in.
The children can stay at the boarding school during the week and go home on weekends, holidays and school breaks, including summer breaks. The children will maintain regular contact with their families through visits, phone calls and emails.
"Our kids get the support they need right there at the boarding school, and then they go home on the weekends where they don't really have much homework and don't need a lot of help, so they can just enjoy their families," Huber said.
St. Nicholas Academy is located on Edgewood Drive, behind Capital Region Medical Center and Huber & Associates, where CRMC is leasing the building to the boarding school for $1 a year.
The boarding school is a house with fully furnished bedrooms and a full kitchen, snack kitchen, lounge area, dining room, study area, laundry room, large play room, and art and music room.
Each bedroom has two bunk beds, a bathroom, and a closet for each boy. The play area includes board games, books, toys, an air hockey table, a basketball game and a movie projector. Everything at the house was donated by community members.
The house was finished in April 2019, and the staff has been looking for applicants since. The team is trying to spread the word that it needs applicants, especially to grandparents who are raising their grandchildren, Huber said.
"We are finding that that's really where people need help - is situations where grandparents have to step in and then they don't get to really be grandparents," Huber said. "They have to be parents again, and it's very hard."
The team has been networking and presenting to many organizations and professionals - especially those who work with children - including churches, school staff, counselors, social workers and Parents as Teachers.
"Every entity you can think of, I've been trying to make sure that we stay present, that we are here," said Joy Wheatfall, St. Nicholas Academy's recruiter. "I'm turning over every rock that I can possibly get my hand on because I know there's a need."
There is often a misconception St. Nicholas Academy is a foster care program, Huber said, so she wants to emphasize that it is a private boarding school that focuses on education.
"We're trying to get these grandparents to recognize that this is a free boarding school, so you can get your grandchild a great education, but you're not giving the child up," she said. "The state is not taking this child."
The family of the boy who currently attends St. Nicholas Academy decided to enroll him after he attended a camp St. Nicholas held over the summer in partnership with First Presbyterian Church's K-plus program.
"We were working with his family and convinced them to at least send him to the camp, and then at that point I think his mother got convinced this would be a good thing for him," Huber said.
The child has been improving academically since he's been there, Huber said, and he's doing well adjusting to the new environment.
"It's just been very heartwarming to watch how well he's doing," she said. "We just hope that he continues to do that and then we get a couple more to see the same."
To apply to St. Nicholas Academy, call 573-635-7719 or email [email protected]. For more information, visit the academy's website at stnick.org.