Chabad of Wilmette to expand youth education

A Wilmette place of faith received the greenlight to expand its child day-care center.

Wilmette trustees on June 24 approved a request from Chabad of Wilmette that will allow the preschool within its site to increase enrollment.

Chabad of Wilmette had previously received approval for a maximum of 32 children in two classrooms within its existing facility at 2904 Old Glenview Road. Per village documents, that was implemented in two phases with the first phase for up to 16 children between ages 2-6 and a second phase in November of 2021 for a second classroom of up to 16 in the same age range.

The new approval will allow a third classroom to bring in an additional 18 children, bringing the total allowed to 50. According to its proposal, Chabad of Wilmette will also add two new staff members.

Chabad of Wilmette, per documents submitted to the village, started in 1992 and its Hebrew Sunday school began operating in 1993. Chabad first leased a small site within a strip mall at the current location before purchasing the property and strip mall in 2005. The faith organization then razed the strip mall in 2013 and built a new facility that was completed two years later.

Representatives from the organization say demand for its Gan Montessori preschool is high. The program reached its 32-student capacity in 2022 and has since developed a waitlist.

In their proposal to the village, Chabad representatives say the organizations will not seek further approval in the future to increase the maximum enrollment beyond 50 despite their anticipation that demand will continue to increase.

Wilmette’s Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously supported the request approval earlier this year when it considered the request.

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