FAQ’s

Why is a new school necessary?
The building our school is located in now was the original building purchased by our founder, Ms. Jeanne Simons, in 1955. While it was state of the art in 1955, today it presents limitations because of the age and limited capacity of the structure. With the skyrocketing diagnosis of children with autism we know that it is imperative that we expand our capacity and create more educational options for students with autism.

How many additional students will be served once new school is complete?
Our current capacity is 24 students. Upon completion of our new school we will be able to accommodate the needs of 70 students.

How does this project impact Howard County?
Because Linwood Center is located in Howard County we are in a unique position to partner with Howard County Public Schools (HCPSS) to provide a wide variety of inclusive educational opportunities to students in the County. Our goal is to work in conjunction with HCPSS to help students transition back in to their home schools after an appropriate period of supports and interventions while attending Linwood. We share the same commitment as HCPSS in making sure that every child is educated in the least restrictive environment.

How will this project affect the quality of each student’s educational experience?
Our new school will allow us to have dedicated, state-of-the-art areas for sensory rooms, computer labs, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and fine arts. Additionally, a larger facility will give us the ability to provide separate areas for elementary, middle, and high school students which will better enable us to meet their educational and safety needs.

Will this project only benefit people from Howard County?
No. Because Linwood Center is only one of a very small handful of autism-specific residential providers, we serve the entire state of Maryland… another reason that increasing our capacity is vital is to make sure that no student in Maryland has to receive an out of state placement due to no slots being available.

What is the total cost of the renovation project?
The original cost of our project was $12 million. Due to the generous commitment of our builder to build our school at cost, we are going to be able to complete the project for about half that. To date we have a $2 million gap to close.

When do you expect the project to be completed?
Our goal is to open the doors to new students in 2013.