It's shortly before 10 a.m. in the backyard of a small, custard-colored bungalow nestled into an older West Pasco County neighborhood.
For the past half hour, children between the ages of 5 and 10 have rolled in with their parents before taking off to join their friends on the swing set.
Five-year old Adam, who still hasn't tired of his Blippi Halloween costume, shrieks as he makes a beeline for the new slide, his blue and orange cap and bowtie bouncing with his steps.
Ahava Nature School is named for the Hebrew word for "love.” It's been open for less than two years, but it’s already made an impact with the 14 children enrolled here, said school founder Chantel Excell.
"We have our biggest regulator in front of us, which is the earth and nature. So we always like to start the day that way,” Excell said.
A place for neurodiverse students
The nonprofit school has a waiting list. Most of the children are here on homeschool scholarships. Several are also neurodivergent. They may fidget, or struggle to sit still.
Some of them "stim,” which includes self-soothing behaviors like hand flapping, skin picking, rocking or humming.
That makes traditional public or private schooling difficult. Students there are mostly confined to desks, and teachers are not equipped to work with them one-on-one. The kids are often chastised or even disciplined.
"The message they are receiving is, this is not the place for you, and that there's something wrong with you,” Excell said.
“They are receiving so many negative comments through the day that it really hits their self-esteem, and they honestly go home thinking they're not good at anything. And a human who thinks that is not going to become a very productive human in society, if they even make it very far.”
Excell said Ahava has a small teacher-to-child ratio. No more than five students per teacher. It ensures each student is accommodated and encouraged.
Going beyond homeschooling co-ops
Excell and her husband are both homeschool graduates. Her own children have always been homeschooled, too. They’re also both students here. She said homeschool co-ops that allow children to occasionally learn together and socialize are a good thing.
But she felt like some children need something more than a once-a-week gathering.
“I noticed the lack of that deep friendship and bonding ... that community mindset was lacking,” she said. “I find that neurodivergent kids need a bit more of that social, consistent baseline [that] needs to exist a bit more for them to form those bonds and friendships.”
“She can tell me what vegetation this is. .. can you eat it? That you can eat this weed … just really cool stuff like that. Obviously, they do core, but core is very different here.”Michelle McLaren, parent
Children can come for the full school week, which is four days, or choose a two-day option with some of the lessons being completed at home.
Excell’s mother, Kimberly Brenot, occasionally helps out at the school.
“I just see a group of children who really understand better than a lot of adults how to create a small community," Brenot said. "How to support each other in a way that isn't based on how you act, or what your performance level is, or if you fit into a particular social stereotype, but just who you are.”
A typical school day
After the kids have burned off a little energy, Excell directs them into the living room of the house, where they all gather on the floor — criss-cross apple sauce — to talk about bees.
“Does anyone know the purpose of the bee?” she asks the kids as they sprawl out around the small room.
“They pollinate our food,” one student said. “Sometimes when they get scared, they sting you,” another replied.
They look at models of bees that teach the life cycle, and read a story about them.
Then they pivot into a quick lesson about counting change using plastic coins of varying colors, which will come in handy when they sell coffee and art at the library farmer’s market this week.
Core lessons on math, English and science are taught through hands-on play and activities, and are adjusted appropriately for each child's age and level of understanding.
Excell also considers their interests.
"A particular child here is really into trains,” Excell said. “So we brought somebody in who is a train expert. He was a train engineer, and they were able to learn all about that process."
Micro schools and the cost of attendance
The definition of what constitutes a “micro school” varies state to state, with some having formal requirements and restrictions, as well as infrastructure. In others, like Florida, it’s much looser.
The state does not appear to use the term formally. A public records request for data on micro schools was returned by the Department of Education because it said no such records exist.
Sweeping changes to state education laws the last couple years have expanded where schools can be housed, like at the library, community service organization, museum, performing arts venue, theater, cinema or church to house a school, according to WLRN.
HB 1285, which took effect July 1, 2024, “allows private, charter and microschools to rent or buy these spaces and use them to open a school without having to comply with local land-use and zoning restrictions,” adding about 50,000 new locations where these schools can open.
Unlike states that require extensive licensing, Florida’s process is simple. Schools just submit an annual private school survey to the state education department. WUSF’s request for records pertaining to those surveys has not been answered yet.
Ahava Nature School is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Aside from scholarship money, it takes donations from monthly donors. Excel also partners with local businesses.
Every child here so far receives a state voucher scholarship, and some also are on homeschool scholarships. Most of the students, Excell said, are on the “Family Empowerment Scholarship for Unique Abilities.”
Excell said local private schools that can educate children with mental or physical disabilities can cost more than $30,000 a year, making them inaccessible to many families in Pasco County.
“We're covering whatever gap that parent can't meet. [In 2024], we covered $35,000 in scholarships, and that was before our nonprofit went through. But I won't tell a family ‘no’ whose child needs a place.”
The world as a classroom
Later in the morning, the group takes a leisurely half-mile walk to downtown New Port Richey, occasionally stopping to point out scurrying brown and green anoles, as well as cool bugs.
Excell stops to show the kids a natural beehive on a tree from a safe distance on the sidewalk.
"They created a hive in that hole,” she tells them. The group responds with variations of, 'that’s so cool!' ”
As they walk, the kids occasionally pick flowers and leaves they'll use to make stamps later. Teacher Charlotte Sun picks a leaf from a shrub hanging over the sidewalk.
"Do you think these leaves would make a nice pattern?” she asks. “Let's pick some!”
Once downtown, the kids scatter to explore and climb trees. 11-year old Hope sits down on a short boat dock along the Pithlachascotee River and swirls a stick in the water.
She said she looks forward to school every day now.
"I get to see wildlife, like millipedes, lizards, birds."
She recently started at Ahava after some trouble in public school. Ahava, she said quietly, is different.
"There's no bullies."
Half an hour later, the kids walk back to the school for lunch.
Hands-on instruction in the garden
New Port Richey urban farmer Tanner Johnson owns the land Ahava Nature School sits on, as well as the house and property next door. Both front and backyards are filled with garden beds overflowing with collard greens, kale, chard, radishes, lettuce and more.
ALSO READ: Pasco County front-yard farm represents a growing trend in urban agriculture
Johnson and his wife, Anna Cardenas, both help out at the school, and their daughter Leia attends. Lessons on growing fruits and vegetables are common since the students are so close to the farm.
After lunch, Sun directs the students to raised garden beds in the backyard. Bellies full, a couple of them protest. But once the sun hits their faces, they perk up again.
"Team Ahava, answer me this,” Sun said to the kids. “Why do we need to trim the plants?"
“So we can plant more!” they cheer.
“What are we gonna plant?” Sun asks.
“Carrots!” they screech with excitement.
Sun passes out scissors, pausing only to gently address squabbles between who gets which colored handle.
She leans down to the ground and gently grips a fistful of arugula to demonstrate where to cut.
“I'm just gonna trim as close to the ground as possible."
Eight-year-old Madeline watches closely.
Her mom, Michelle McLaren, said she cheers the start of the school week.
“She can tell me what vegetation this is. .. can you eat it? That you can eat this weed … just really cool stuff like that. Obviously, they do core, but core is very different here,” McLaren said.
Creativity and commerce
After their garden time, the kids dig through the baskets of plants they collected on their walk.
They brush paint onto the leaves and flowers and use them to stamp white tea towels. Sun even carves some simple designs into potatoes for them to use, too.
Tomorrow, the kids will sell their creations at Tasty Tuesdays, the weekly farmers market at the New Port Richey Library, along with coffee and muffins.
The rest of the afternoon is spent practicing their baking skills on pumpkin muffins. They figure out how to double the recipe they have, and discuss measurements like teaspoons, tablespoons and cups. Each child gets an opportunity to measure, pour and mix.
Adam pours some flour into a glass measuring cup, laughing as a puff of flour flies up to coat his shirt and face.
Nearby, Excell watches with a smile. The kids' eyes light up when they answer questions correctly.
"I almost thought we were opening this little secret, tiny space, and I had no idea that the need would be so great,” Excell said.
“Having parents call all of the time that their child hates school, leaves in tears, doesn't feel safe, and that need is just growing and growing as we grow.”
Day’s end and hope for the future
It's now close to three in the afternoon, and while the muffins bake, the kids pack up their backpacks.
Adam, who discarded his Blippi hat and orange, plastic glasses hours ago, shoves them into his bag.
“We will see you on Wednesday, buddy!” Excell calls out to him as he hightails it to his dad.
After all the kids are gone for the day, Excell, Sun and others ready the house for the next school day. Excell sighs with contentment. This, she said, is just a sneak peek at the kind of impact the school has already had, and could continue to make.
She said with more community funding, they can hire more teachers and take on more students. She even dreams of opening a second location one day.
Learn more about Ahava Nature School on its website.
