Fridley expands Vista therapeutic programs and plans autism center at community center

Fridley Public Schools presented a multi-part expansion of its Vista therapeutic program on April 7, highlighting rapid growth, a colllocated secondary site at Fridley High School and plans for a new autism center at the Fridley Community Center expected to open in fall 2026.

Harold Scott, senior officer of student and family support, described Vista’s therapeutic model: small-class settings, an "options room" staffed by therapists (Change, Inc.), positive behavioral interventions (Vista Bucks), and flexible furniture and nooks to support sensory and regulation needs. He said Vista started with a single site and has expanded into Vista Secondary at the high school; current capacity was 24 with several students on wait lists.

Superintendent Dr. Brenda Lewis and staff explained the autism center model and its financing. The center will house specialized classrooms and therapy spaces for K–22 students with autism, use visual schedules and structured teaching strategies, and provide specialized seating and sensory toolkits. Lewis emphasized that the build-out and programming will use state special-education reimbursements (which staff said typically reimburse 82–87% of eligible costs) and tuition agreements for nonresident students; the district said those revenues and billing streams, not general-fund or referendum dollars, will fund the program’s construction and operations.

"Every student is our student," Harold Scott said, outlining how Vista serves both resident students and students from other districts through tuition agreements. The district said that the autism center will initially have capacity for about 24 students with an anticipated 20 resident placements and additional tuition-funded spots depending on demand.

Board members asked about noise mitigation and co-location logistics; staff said they are working with a neurodiversity-environment specialist to advise on color, furniture placement and acoustic barriers. The board did not take a funding vote; staff said the project leverages special-education funding streams and tuition billing arrangements and that the district will post further details as planning advances.