Bel Air School Celebrates 30 Years As Enrollment Grows 70%

BEL AIR, MD — A Bel Air school founded 30 years ago to help children with learning differences recently celebrated a milestone as enrollment continues to grow, increasing approximately 70% over the past four years, leaders say.

The Highlands School, an independent school serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade, recently celebrated its 30th anniversary with a Founders' Day event organized in partnership with the Harford County Chamber of Commerce.

The school currently serves 85 students and has a waitlist for admission, reflecting increased demand for its specialized educational programs, leaders note.

"I think families are finding us because they’re looking for something that can be surprisingly hard to find: a school where their child can be taught the way they need to be taught," Head of School Claudia Nachtigal told Patch.

The school's growth has largely been organic, mostly from families talking to other families, professionals referring students to the school and people seeing the success students are having, Nachtigal said.

"We’ve grown by about 70 percent in four years, but we’ve been very intentional about protecting what makes Highlands special as we grow: small classes, individualized instruction and knowing every child well," Nachtigal said.

Founded in 1996 by Beth Maahs-Hoagberg and Vicki Whitaker, The Highlands School was established to provide children with learning differences an educational environment tailored to their individual needs.

Today, the school specializes in educating students with language-based learning differences and executive functioning challenges. Its approach combines individualized instruction, multisensory learning and small-group classes designed to help children strengthen their academic skills.

The school also emphasizes confidence, independence, collaboration and self-advocacy, helping students better understand their individual learning styles.

Nachtigal said the progress students make often becomes apparent to their families in unexpected ways.

"A new parent cried in the car line because her daughter had read the song title on the radio. Another told us this is the first time their child wakes up wanting to go to school. Parents come to us looking for help and hope. We understand learning differences, but we also understand how important it is to nurture confidence, integrity and hard work," Nachtigal told Patch.

For some children, being surrounded by classmates who experience similar academic challenges can be just as important as the specialized instruction they receive.

"For our students, I think the biggest thing is that they finally feel successful. They’re surrounded by other kids who learn differently, too, so there’s a sense of belonging here that can be life-changing. Kids discover that a learning difference is something they have—it isn’t who they are," Nachtigal noted.

The school's anniversary celebration brought together founders, current and former board members, elected officials, educators, families and community supporters. Maahs-Hoagberg and Whitaker were recognized for their efforts to establish the school three decades ago.

The milestone was marked with proclamations from Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, state Sen. J.B. Jennings, Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly and the Harford County Council. The Harford County Chamber of Commerce also recognized the school for its 30 years of service.

While the school is celebrating its history, administrators also are looking toward the future and how to accommodate additional students without sacrificing the individualized attention that has become central to its educational approach, Nachtigal said.

"Our challenge now is growing thoughtfully. Demand is strong and we have waitlists. We have physical space, but we must hire to meet the need, because growth cannot come at the expense of the individualized education that brought families here in the first place," Nachtigal told Patch.

The school plans to evaluate opportunities to expand enrollment, strengthen academic programs, recruit additional teachers and make improvements to its campus.

"We’re looking carefully at how we expand capacity, strengthen our academic programming, invest in our teachers and continue improving our campus. At the same time, we’re celebrating our 30th anniversary and thinking about what it means to make Highlands strong and sustainable for the next 30 years. There are some exciting things ahead," she said.

The Founders' Day event is part of a yearlong anniversary celebration recognizing the families, teachers, students, donors and community members who have contributed to the school's growth since 1996.