A Message from Our Head of School, Vicki Asher

At Horizon Academy, our mission is clear: to empower students with language-based learning disabilities to become strategic learners and confident self-advocates. Each year, I am reminded that this mission is not merely a statement—it is lived daily in our classrooms, our community, and most importantly, in our students.

This year marked our largest enrollment to date, serving 121 students—a milestone that reflects both the growing need for our mission and the trust families place in Horizon Academy. Beyond our campus, our online tutoring program now reaches 30+ students nationwide, in metropolitan cities and rural areas, as well as a few international students.

Locally, we serve more than 50 students through our learning center, providing diagnostic testing and executive function coaching to families in our community. Our summer programming further expands our reach, serving 78 students in our June program and more than 100 students through our tutoring center, thereby extending our impact far beyond Kansas City.

We also strengthened our organizational foundation through new committee work and a renewed commitment to outreach. The Educational Outreach Committee, led by Board Chair Dr. Michele Kilo, has prioritized expanding Horizon Academy’s reach beyond our campus doors. These efforts focus on increasing access and supporting underserved families and educators, ensuring that more students receive the specialized instruction they deserve.

Our work is guided by exceptional expertise. Gabi Guillory Welsh, a member of our faculty for 11 years, recently attained the prestigious Fellow level through the Orton-Gillingham Academy—an honor held by only a small number of educators nationwide. Keely Rincon, who joined us this year, has also achieved Fellow status. Both serve on the Educational Outreach Committee, strengthening our outreach and faculty development and ensuring Horizon Academy educators remain among the very best in the city.

Every success this year—academic, organizational, and communal—comes back to our students unleashing their impact and to the adults who believe in them. Thank you to our families, faculty, staff, board members, and supporters who make this work possible. Together, we are building a future where students with language-based learning disabilities are empowered not only to succeed, but to lead.

As you explore this report, I hope you feel pride in all we have achieved together. The Horizon Academy story is one of resilience, growth, and boundless possibility—and we will continue to write it together.

To learn more about the impact Horizon Academy made during our 2024-2025 Fiscal Year, click here to read our Annual Fiscal Year Report: July 2024- June 2025.

Together, we are building a future where students are empowered not only to succeed, but to lead. - Vicki Asher