A New Beginning for Maryville Academy

By Chuck Sudo in News on Jun 29, 2007 3:34PM

After being shuttered for three years amidst a series of complains of poor management and DCFS investigation, Maryville Academy's City of Youth has re-opened.

When Maryville was shut down in 2003, nearly 270 wards of the state called the Des Plaines campus home. Increasingly frequent acts of violence and sexual assault, a suicide on campus and bad management led to DCFS' decision to remove their wards from Maryville, with a mandate that Maryville review and implement changes to its programs in order to re-open.

The first arrivals came yesterday from a Maryville satellite on the city's west side. Under the new DCFS guidelines, Maryville will offer a student-to-teacher ratio of 3 to 1 as they work to rehabilitate these wards, who suffer from developmental disabilities and mental illness stemming from abuse, for future placement in foster homes. Maryville Academy will also be working with smaller numbers of youths than in the past.

We know from personal experience the need for some positive role models in our youth. We also know that the good deeds Maryville Academy has done in its existence far outweighs the events that caused it to be shuttered. We're glad to see Maryville back in the business of saving children and hope they can stay open for a long time.

Image courtesy of www.juniorlinks.com