Pace School opened as a licensed private school in 1967 and began operation with 24 students largely diagnosed as learning disabled.
The school was licensed as an Approved Private School in the early 1970s, which stabilized the funding source for the program.
With the introduction of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1975 and its federal mandate for education “in the least restrictive environment,” students with learning disabilities largely returned to public schools and were replaced at Pace School by students with behavioral and emotional disorders.
This shift in service focus was accompanied by a shift in the family profile. Data reflects that a majority of Pace School students qualify for Pennsylvania’s free and reduced lunch program.
In 1985, Pace became one of four Approved Private Schools in Pennsylvania to provide mental health services in the form of a School-Based Partial Hospitalization Program to meet the increasing mental health needs of students.
Pace School relocated to its current six-acre campus in 2000 in response to growing needs for diverse educational and therapeutic approaches.
The move expanded the enrollment capacity and the additional space allowed for service improvements. Pace School has specialized classrooms for support of youngsters with acute psychiatric and behavioral needs, along with services for children with autism/Asperger’s Syndrome.
In 2005, Pace school began the process of building a trauma sensitive environment through the Sanctuary® Model. Incorporating trauma informed practices throughout the school is only one of the many initiatives that will carry Pace School into the future.