BENTONVILLE (KFSM) — The Thaden School is set to open this fall for 7th and 9th grade students after the City of Bentonville approved a conditional use application.
Hopeful parents attended an open house on Thursday (Jan. 5) to learn about the new teaching techniques that will be offered at the independent school.
One parent said she was excited about the school being independent, so her child could create their own curriculum instead of following common core values like most public schools.
“They don’t really have to go the same way as what the main stream does and I kinda like that because i really don’t like the route the public school system is going now and days,” parent Lizzie Kotyankar said.
Although the school is looking to admit only 100 to 125 students in their first year, less students will mean smaller classroom sizes and more hands on opportunities, which hopeful parents said was a plus.
For one mom, she said having her son admitted would be ideal. After moving from Ohio, Mariam Wade struggled to find an independent school close enough to her job and home to commute, but there weren’t any independent schools for her son to attend in the Bentonville area.
“The fact that its right in Bentonville, I appreciate that a lot more than having to go to someplace else,” Wade said.
Some parents were concerned about the location of the school in downtown Bentonville. Head of School Clayton Marsh knew that would be an issue, so he contacted the city to explore options to make the school safer for kids.
