Monarch School was a year round, co-ed
therapeutic boarding school
Therapeutic boarding school is an institution where students reside on campus and are provided with both educational and therapeutic services. These institutions first began to emerge in the late 1960s. Description
A therapeutic boarding school ...
located in
Heron, Montana
Heron is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sanders County, Montana, named for the village of Heron which is located within it. The population of the CDP was 173 at the 2020 census.
The town was built in 1883 by the Northern Pacific Railroad ...
. It closed in September 2017, with its owners citing unsustainable student enrollment as the primary reason.
History
Monarch School, INC was incorporated in Idaho by founder Patrick McKenna
[
] in September 2000. According to the mission statement, "The Monarch School exists to provide young adults with the foundation of knowledge and self-awareness to achieve their dreams as healthy human beings".
As the school did not have an official campus when it opened, McKenna ran the school out of his
Sandpoint
Sandpoint is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Bonner County, Idaho, United States. Its population was 9,777 as of the 2022 census.
Sandpoint's major economic contributors include forest products, light manufacturing, tourism, recre ...
home.
In late 2001, students moved from the Mckenna residence onto the Monarch campus in Heron, Montana. The campus comprised several small dormitories in separate houses, classroom buildings, and arts center, a theater building, administrative and dining facility, horse barn and riding hall, chicken coop, greenhouse, and extensive grounds. The curriculum was divided into periods of academic studies, practical skills development (cooking, forestry, gardening, animal care, etc.), chores, and recreation. Personal electronics were not allowed, although students used computers for some of their academic work. Face to face interaction, reading, and physical activity were encouraged instead.
In 2014, a student tried to commit suicide. The Monarch School has been accused of abuse and neglect by former students, including
Paris Hilton
Paris Whitney Hilton (born February 17, 1981) is an American media personality, businesswoman, and socialite. Hilton was born in New York City and raised there partially; shuttling between Los Angeles and New York City; she is a great-grandda ...
, and is considered to be reflective of the
troubled teen industry
In the United States, the troubled teen industry (also known as TTI) is a broad range of youth residential programs aimed at struggling teenagers. The term encompasses various facilities and programs, including youth residential treatment centers, ...
. A ''
TrueAnon
''TrueAnon'' is a left-wing American politics and gossip podcast hosted by Brace Belden and Liz Franczak. The podcast initially focused on deceased financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The title of the podcast is a parody of the QAnon, QA ...
'' series on the history of
Synanon
Synanon, originally known as Tender Loving Care, was a new religious movement founded in 1958 by Charles E. "Chuck" Dederich Sr. in Santa Monica, California, United States. Originally established as a drug rehabilitation program, Synanon develop ...
recounted
Brace Belden's experiences at the Monarch School and described Patrick McKenna as a disciple of Synanon, with the school mimicking
CEDU
CEDU Educational Services, Inc., known simply as CEDU (pronounced see-doo), was a company founded in 1967 in Palm Springs, California by Mel Wasserman and associated with the birth of the troubled teen industry. The company owned and operated sev ...
's practices. After its closure, the school also settled lawsuits from parents that claimed malpractice, fraud, and breach of contract.
Admissions
Monarch School offered year-round enrollment, and cost of tuition was a "flat monthly tuition rate of $7000." Partial financial aid was granted in many cases.
Notable Alumni
*
Brace Belden
See also
*
CEDU
CEDU Educational Services, Inc., known simply as CEDU (pronounced see-doo), was a company founded in 1967 in Palm Springs, California by Mel Wasserman and associated with the birth of the troubled teen industry. The company owned and operated sev ...
References
{{Reflist
Schools in Sanders County, Montana
Private schools in Montana
Boarding schools in Montana
Educational institutions established in 2000
2000 establishments in Montana
2017 disestablishments in Montana
Therapeutic boarding schools in the United States
Troubled teen programs