By LYNETTE HAALAND, Four Points News
In just 98 days, seven families turned a shared need into a new school.
Roosevelt Academy recently opened its doors in the Four Points area, providing an educational community for students with diverse learning needs. The school was founded by seven families – the Denso, Hogan, Lawes, Reimers, Ritchie, Teitelman and Thomas families – who decided to stop waiting for the “right” school and build one themselves.
Like many parents of neurodiverse learners, the founding families had experienced the frustration of trying to fit extraordinary children into educational systems that were not designed around their individual needs. They envisioned a school where education could be shaped around the child, with an emphasis on strengths, independence and preparation for meaningful adult lives.
The result is Roosevelt Academy, with its seven founding students at the heart of its mission.
The school’s name reflects its philosophy.
Roosevelt Academy was inspired by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who took office during a time of enormous uncertainty and launched an ambitious agenda during his first 100 days. Roosevelt also lived much of his adult life with the effects of polio, facing significant physical challenges while refusing to allow them to define what he could accomplish.
The academy’s own story began with a challenge — and a clock.
“We had just 98 days to create a school,” said Will Lawes at the ribbon cutting ceremony in front of 150+.
The founders viewed those 98 days as a reminder of what can happen when urgency is matched with
purpose, optimism and determination.
That philosophy also is reflected in the school’s hermit crab mascot. The “Hermit Crab Principle” is based on the idea that growth begins when a person finds the right environment. Just as a hermit crab periodically seeks a new shell that better fits its growth, Roosevelt Academy believes students flourish when their educational environment adapts to them, Lawes shared.
Some students may prefer quiet spaces, smaller groups or time to recharge. The school sees those needs not as something to change, but as something to understand and respect, according to John Hogan.
Roosevelt Academy is housed at Marshall Ford Fellowship, whose congregation has supported the school from its earliest days.
Pastor Scott Jackson said the partnership quickly felt like a natural fit. Jackson and his wife also understand the challenges families face, as their youngest child has been diagnosed with autism.
“We understand the stress that this puts on a family,” Jackson said.
He said the church wanted to provide a place where students could feel safe, thrive and be surrounded by people who believe in them.
Jackson recalled watching students arrive for their first day of school, describing the smiles, laughter and excitement as a powerful reminder of why the school matters.
The academy’s vision extends beyond graduation. Leaders hope eventually to create a broader community where students with disabilities and their families can continue learning, growing and living as adults rather than seeing support end when students reach 22.
For now, Roosevelt Academy is taking its first steps with its founding students and Megan Peterson, the lead teacher, and Colene Winterton, the instructional assistant.
The school’s founders say they did not create the academy because building a school in 98 days was easy.
They did it because the children who needed it could not wait.
Photos by Four Points News of the August 23, 2026 Roosevelt Academy open house
