In its 75 years of serving students with learning differences, Pitt Academy has developed a strong connection to its alumni and takes great pride in their success, said Michelle Williams, assistant principal during a recent interview at the school.
“We get visitors all the time,” said Williams, teary-eyed as she described her joy at seeing the success of former students who return for visits.
“They’ve gotten a job. They’re living independently. … Things you’ve worked on, and worked on, and worked on,” she said. “They’re shaking hands. They’re making eye contact. Seeing the things we taught them, seeing they did it, they made it makes you so proud. I can’t describe that feeling. It may be something small, but it’s a milestone.”
Pitt Academy is celebrating its 75 years of service to the Archdiocese of Louisville and the greater Louisville area this year.
The school currently serves 51 students in kindergarten through 12th grade who have learning differences, offering a fully accredited academic program.
The school’s history began with its founding in 1949 by Monsignor Felix Newton Pitt and the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville as a school for children with learning and other disabilities.
It would have several names throughout the years, including “Monsignor Pitt Learning Center” and “Ursuline-Pitt Academy” before simplifying to “Pitt Academy” in the early 1990s.
After 65 years of renting, the school moved to its sixth location in 2014, purchasing the former Westport Christian Church building at 7515 Westport Road.
‘They’ve gotten a job. They’re living independently. … They’re shaking hands. They’re making eye contact. Seeing the things we taught them, seeing they did it, they made it makes you so proud. I can’t describe that feeling. It may be something small, but it’s a milestone.’
– Michelle Williams, assistant principal
The faculty and staff serve students with a variety of learning differences, including ADD/ADHD, Autism, Down Syndrome and speech and language deficits.
But school leaders focus on the abilities of the students rather than their differences, said Williams. Students receive accommodations and modifications that best fit their needs.
Pitt Academy also works in collaboration with other Catholic schools, noted Williams.
Students at several local schools — Trinity High School, Holy Cross High School, Mercy Academy and Assumption High School — volunteer regularly at Pitt Academy during the school day.
Williams said Pitt students love their student visitors and that several of the visiting students have reached out after volunteering to share that they are pursuing careers in special education.
But the collaboration doesn’t stop there.
Local Catholic schools often guide parents whose children need more individualized attention to Pitt Academy, Williams noted.
Many parents of children with learning differences want to send their students to a Catholic school, but need more resources than their parish school can provide, she explained.
Several students at Pitt Academy have siblings at another school, she noted. Regardless of learning needs, “You can still give your child a Catholic education,” she said.
Amanda Martin, director of the post-graduate program at Pitt Academy, noted, “In life, everyone learns differently. Learners learn differently.”
That’s where Pitt’s staff comes in, said Williams. “The staff are so good at making modifications,” she said.
In addition to an academic education, Pitt Academy also provides resources to help students with additional needs. Fostering student independence is a high priority, said Williams.
The school has developed a curriculum that integrates life skills into its lessons, beginning at kindergarten, she explained.
Students in upper grades participate in field trips to develop independent learning skills, such as visiting a pet store to learn the responsibilities of pet ownership or visiting a grocery store to find items and budget for a meal.
These trips help students “become as independent as they possibly can be,” said Williams. “It’s really important for them. Teaching these skills at an early age will go with them for the rest of their lives.”
Pitt Academy also offers other resources, such as a sensory room and an exercise facility funded by various charities.
“The community has been so good to us,” noted Williams.
In the sensory room, students are guided by their educators to use tools that will help them succeed during the school day. One student might benefit from using a weighted blanket to calm down, while another child might use the mini-trampoline to get their energy out, Williams said.
Additionally, the school boasts a postgraduate program, founded in 2018, that educates students aged 18 to 24 with learning differences. The program offers employment and vocational training, growth in independent living skills and functional academics.
Like many educators across the archdiocese, Williams and Martin said, their work can be difficult at times, but they agreed the success of their students makes it all worthwhile.
The school will celebrate its 75th anniversary with its families, alumni and staff at its Fall Festival in October.
