By Abby Cambiano
Northeast News

Historic Northeast elementary charter school, Scuola Vita Nuova, is celebrating multiple grant awards totaling over $1.4 million in just the past four months by investing in itself.

Before 2017, SVN had not applied for major grants. Since April, SVN has received commitments for three grants. The charter school, led by Principal Nicole Goodman, has seen immense growth over the 18 years since it opened.

“People are always watching what is happening with your growth, your academic achievement, and that people have identified SVN as a high-quality charter school and they’re seeing good things happening with student achievement,” Goodman said.

She noted that it is never an excuse, but people recognize that SVN serves about 98 percent Free and Reduced Lunch, as well as serving a student body that is 71 percent ESL.

“Although we’re identified as a quality school, and I think we are, we’re not where we want to be score-wise,” Goodman said. The school has seen standardized test scores double since Goodman arrived.

As the Northeast News previously reported, SVN was awarded the $450,000 Charter School Growth Fund grant in June to be paid out over the next two years. This is in addition to a $625,000 pledge through the 501(c)3 SchoolSmartKC Foundation and a $325,000 pledge from a private foundation.

“We’re small, we don’t have a lot of positions so we do wear a lot of different hats,” Goodman said. “We don’t have a fundraiser, a development person or anything, so we have not done any fundraising since I’ve been here. We operate out of our state and local funds, what we get.”

SVN purchased the former Don Bosco Charter High School property at 535 Garfield Ave. in 2013. Previously, it was the St. John’s Catholic Grade School from 1951 to 1993. SVN renovated the main building for approximately $5.1 million, and moved from the Northeast Community Center (544 Wabash Ave.) to the new property in 2014.

When plans of partnering with Crossroads Academy to form a high school were denied by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, SVN decided to expand in other ways. Adding an additional kindergarten, first and second grade class this year, SVN will add another class to each additional grade each year following. Principal Nicole Goodman said they plan to double 2016’s student body of 207 by 2023.

The growing charter school, which is sponsored by the University of Central Missouri, is now working to renovate the old rectory into a middle school building. The building served as the priest’s home when it was St. John’s Catholic Church.

Mary Pittala, director of finance and operations, gave the Northeast News a tour of the building in June before construction started. Pittala said SVN is currently waiting on a construction permit from the city. As part of a historic neighborhood, SVN had to get the renovation approved by the Historic Preservation Committee.

“We have a waiting list, so we know there are kids here that want to get in, and this will allow us to meet that need in this community,” Pittala said. “We give priority to kids who live in a two mile radius, so we like that it’s a neighborhood school.”

The 1970s-style building, which sat unused for years, has wood paneling, many “choppy” small rooms and an outdated kitchen. Pittala explained the plan for the renovation, which includes four classrooms, a large flexible space, an outdoor classroom and science garden, and maximized useable space for students.

Clockwork Architecture and Design, located in the Kansas City River Market, and Straub Construction are working on the project. The 5,500 square foot building undergoing a $1.6 million renovation is expected to be completed by December 2017.

While SVN is working on finalizing the details of the most recent grant, construction will begin in August on the new middle school building.