Academy for Precision Learning has brought its focus on neurodivergent education to a new home on Capitol Hill

(Image: Academy for Precision Learning)

The changing landscape of education in Seattle has included a transition on 15th Ave just off E Madison where the Academy for Precision Learning is finishing its first year.

It plans to stay. The non-profit, independent K-12 school provides specialized education for neurodivergent students in adherence with Washington academic requirements.

It has put a space made available by the growth of Capitol Hill’s Seattle Academy to good use in its first year in the neighborhood.

“[Our curriculum] allows us to meet people where they are,” said Amanda Wells, executive director for the school. A board certified behavioral analyst herself, Wells moved from Austin, Texas and is going on her second year of working at the school.

In addition to its academics, the school offers both clinical and behavioral support for its students, individualizing learning plans in order to tailor curriculum to each students’ needs.

APL’s arrival on 15th Ave was made possible by the continued major growth of Seattle Academy. CHS reported here on the private academy’s plans five years ago for the new five-story “Home of the Upper School” that further reshaped the campus’s 12th and Madison corner.

With the opening of the new building, Seattle Academy ended its run in the Temple Building on 15th Ave leased from Temple De Hirsch Sinai.

APL moved in, attracted by the building’s long history of education and central location.

APL is part of an ongoing trend of education investments around this part of the central city.

An even larger new investment is in the works to transform a block of First Hill. CHS reported here on the plans for the Spruce Street School to bring its kindergarten and elementary kids to First Hill in a $22 million project that will transform a Madison at Summit commercial building into an urban campus including a 20,000-square-foot classroom building plus the building’s roof which is planned to be developed as an outdoor play area and a massive underground parking lot.

The new home for Spruce Street is planned to open in 2028.

Back at the Temple Building on 15th Ave just south of Madison, Ewan Duncan is both a parent to a student at APL and the incoming president of the school’s board of directors.

Individualized attention and care was something that made the school stand out for Duncan.

“Most public schools don’t have the resources or capabilities to focus on neurodivergent kids,” said Duncan. “[APL has] always been focused on neurodivergent education, and there are just very few options for that kind of education in the Pacific Northwest.”

With some class sizes as small as four students, the school sets students up in cohorts relevant to their specific goals, whether that’s staying put, moving back into a public school setting, or moving onto either a four year-university or vocational school.

“The ultimate goal of the school is to let the students become independent adults,” said Duncan.

Incorporated in July 2001, the school started when families decided they wanted to send their children to a school that could offer more accommodation for neurodivergence. Previously located across two buildings in the University District, the school was looking to switch locations to a more accommodating building. When Seattle Academy moved into their new building, APL was able to sublease with Temple De Hirsch Sinai for the remaining 10 years on the lease.

“We feel great about the space since the school moved in,” said Duncan. This sentiment was echoed by Wells, expressing how the space has allowed the school to strengthen its sense of community now that it is housed under one roof.

Now able to update the school to further accommodate the needs of students, the school is currently working to update their playground to be a space designed for neurodivergent kids and to make the building itself more ADA compliant in order to prioritize the experience of their students.

“We don’t expect our students just to be ready to go,” said Wells. “We’re taking some deep breaths, these academics will come but first we need you to know that you’re safe. That’s really our goal, to make our learning environment open to who they are so they’re feeling accepted and regulated so they can dive into the more academic side of things.”

Partnered with 10 school districts in the area, the school is able to accept students on a referral basis as well as specific interest. With a successful application and proper paperwork, partnered school districts are able to subsidize tuition for transfer students. Otherwise, financial aid offerings vary and tuition for the 2026 – 2027 school year ranges from $25,344 – $42,740 following a 1.1% increase from their 2025 – 2026 prices.

Now growing in this part of the neighborhoods around where Capitol Hill meets the Central District, APL is also part of a growing number of spaces being created in the city to meet the needs of neurodivergent families. On Broadway, kids also have a place to hang out and make friends. Above Capitol Hill Station, Summit Community Center has grown into a place of belonging, connection, and independence.

For APL, enrollment numbers dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic, but year over year growth has allowed the community to stay strong. With 73 students currently enrolled, applications for the school are accepted on a rolling basis. The process includes school visits for potential new students, as well as meetings with teachers, counselors, family, and the students themselves.

“You can truly forge your own way, and what we’re trying to do here is allow people to do that with kindness and compassion,” said Wells. “There is no box. You get to define what that is.”

APL is located at 1432 15th Ave. Learn more at aplschool.org.

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