ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Hope Hall, a private, non-profit school in Rochester, is celebrating its 30th year of serving students who struggle in traditional classrooms.

Hope Hall is welcoming back students to start a new school year, catering to students with ADHD, emotional struggles, or those on the autism spectrum.

“Just because they learn differently, doesn’t mean they can’t learn. They can learn just as much as everybody else – and the fact is we have a 100% high school graduation rate,” said Sister Diana Dolce, who opened Hope Hall in 1994.

When the school first opened, they had 43 children, six teachers, a principal.

“I was the middle school social studies teacher, the principal, and also for one year, I was with maintenance,” Sister Diana said.

Hope Hall operates under the goal of teaching every student to their full potential, in the way that suits them best. Classes are small, assignments are hands-on, and teachers repeating themselves is the norm, not the exception. Instructors also focus on social skills and soft skills, recognizing that things like eye contact and handshakes might not be natural for many of the kids.

“97% of our students have reported being bullied prior to coming to Hope Hall,” Sister Diana said. “So they – when they’re here, that’s why we call it a school of our own, they know they matter, everybody here learns differently.”

The school has served hundreds of students, including Mi’Year Rodgers of Gates, a senior at Hope Hall. He switched schools four years ago after struggling with online learning during the pandemic.

“I wasn’t good with online school at all, so my classes- the grades went down bad, so I applied to all types of schools, none of the schools accepted me except Hope Hall,” Rodgers said.

Rodgers is glad he got accepted. “The difference – it’s a community, everyone’s really welcoming, respectful,” he said.

Sister Diana says she’s now getting the children of some of her first graduates. She says seeing graduates want the same level of support for their children who may have learning disabilities or differences makes her feel blessed.

As a private school, 80% of Hope Hall’s funding comes from fundraising, with the other 20% from tuition. The tuition costs $22,000 and every family gets a scholarship, with no family paying more than $5,700. Most get additional financial aid.

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