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New local private school opens

Posted 7/26/22

There’s a new tuition-based private school opening in Fountain Hills this fall called The Inspiration Academy (TIA).

Lisa Ristuccia founded TIA primarily for students who have been displaced …

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New local private school opens

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There’s a new tuition-based private school opening in Fountain Hills this fall called The Inspiration Academy (TIA).

Lisa Ristuccia founded TIA primarily for students who have been displaced since Fountain Hills Charter School closed in May 2021, but enrollment is now open to any and all students.

School starts Tuesday, Aug. 9, and it is an all-day in-person school taught from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. There is no deadline for enrollment, but there will be a cap on how many can enroll. The school is open for K-12 students, and the majority of students signed up currently are in grades 1-8. Ristuccia will be joined by Jennifer Phelps, and both have over 20 years’ experience teaching.

The student-teacher ratio is kept intentionally low so teachers can provide support and supervision in the small learning environment. Ristuccia said she would like to increase the number of students they can accept in the future and possibly expand to other towns in Arizona.

Ristuccia was a Charter School teacher for seven years, and according to her, many of her former students went to other charter and private schools in Mesa, Phoenix or Scottsdale after the Fountain Hills location closed.

Ristuccia has a good relationship with her former students and their families and developed TIA with them specifically in mind. Fountain Hills Charter School had kids of different ages in the same classroom, just like TIA will have, so Ristuccia had already been with many of her students for several years before the school closed.

“I was used to teaching in a very hands-on way that focused on the whole student,” Ristuccia said. “The students did holiday shows, art shows, talent shows, science fairs, Living History Museum projects, schoolwide presentations, carnivals and more. Fountain Hills Charter School was a fun, interactive learning environment that the students and I miss so much.”

TIA utilizes a community campus and students will move based on the day. Students will learn at the Shephard of the Hills church campus on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and they’ll spend Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Fountain Hills Community Center and library. On Thursday mornings, TIA students will work with staff from the River of Time Museum.

Unique model

Ristuccia and her husband came up with the idea of community modules where students and professionals in the community can work together for lessons and service projects. Ristuccia has already partnered with individuals like Debbie Romano, Paige Beckman, Rita Applegate and more to teach skills like nutrition, performing arts and gardening.

“When developing the new school, I knew that I wanted a lot of community involvement and real-world learning embedded into the curriculum,” Ristuccia said. “I want the learning to be meaningful, engaging, and something that can make a positive difference in the lives of the students and in the community.”

TIA also has community modules based on entrepreneurship and science, technology, engineering and math. Ristuccia has partnered with the local Boys & Girls Club McKee Branch to use their gym and provide a bus for after school. TIA also has lots of educational field trips planned, liking going to museums, hands-on science labs, businesses, zoos and more.

Although all the specific dates and locations have yet to be confirmed, Ristuccia would also like to do overnight field trips and a trip to either California or Washington, D.C.

“As a school, we are required to teach the core subjects of reading, writing, math, science and social studies, but we are given the freedom to teach the subjects in a way that best meets the needs of the students,” Ristuccia said. “Instead of going page-by-page through textbooks, the subjects will be embedded in engaging cooperative learning activities, through interdisciplinary thematic units, in project-based learning and in real-world interactions with professionals in the field. We still need to teach the state standards, but can do it in a creative, fun and meaningful way.”

TIA’s tuition cost is $29,000, or $14,500 per semester. There are multiple payment plans and several scholarships available for students and no student will be denied entry or be unenrolled because of a lack of financial means. Ristuccia is familiar with the scholarships and is available to help walk parents through applications.

The two main scholarship funding types are through Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) and Student Tuition Organizations (STOs). Families can only choose one of these options.

More information on scholarships, admissions and community modules is available on TIA’s website, theinspirationacademy.org. You can ask questions directly by emailing Lisa@theinspirationacademy.org or calling 480-294-0193.