Gifted Preschool Planned For Hinsdale

HINSDALE, IL – A businessman is planning to open a gifted preschool in a Hinsdale church, in addition to the one he founded a few years ago in Chicago.

JC Mountainbear and Hinsdale United Methodist Church, 945 S. Garfield Ave., are seeking a permit from the village.

In 2018, a preschool in the church closed after more than a half century.

A former Wall Street investment banker, Mountainbear said he plans to open the year-round Montessori Gifted Prep Preschool in September.

Last week, he told the Hinsdale Plan Commission that the school would be similar to one he opened in Chicago's Lincoln Square neighborhood.

He said that in the most recent year, the five-classroom Chicago school drew more than $3 million in revenue, with $600,000 in profits.

"Why I chose Hinsdale was because during COVID a lot of the parents in Lincoln Square moved out to Hinsdale, so I heard a lot of good things about Hinsdale," Mountainbear said. "So I figured once we had our act together in Lincoln Square and passed over all this COVID stuff, we could come here to Hinsdale."

The school is seeking a permit to have 77 students, but Mountainbear expected to only attract a few students at the beginning.

"When I started the (Chicago) school, we only had four kids, and I was basically expecting that type of ramp-up here as well," he said.

But Anna Fiascone, a commission member, said Mountainbear wouldn't face such hurdles in Hinsdale.

"You will have a wait list in the first month," she said.

The church and Mountainbear said their plan avoids traffic issues with dropping off students at the school. The preschool's employees would greet families when they arrived, with parents never having to get out of their cars, according to the preschool.

Zed Francis of the church said the lease income from the preschool would allow it to maintain its programs and services and hopefully expand them. The church, he said, was blessed with a large parking lot.

"There will never be a situation where there's any traffic on any public street," Francis said. "Everything will be contained within our own property. This is a really light footprint for our facility."

Fiascone, a local real estate agent, said that when the church space was advertised for leasing, the neighbors became concerned.

"I think it's a really good sign that no neighbors are here because I think (the space) was being marketed as a retail situation. (The neighbors) were going to call it quits if something were going to go into that space," Fiascone said.

Preschool representatives said they would include no retail in the space and suggested the village condition its approval on that promise.

They also said the preschool's closing times are scheduled to avoid those of the nearby Oak Elementary School.

The commission unanimously voted to recommend a permit for the preschool. The Village Board has the final say.