Summa Academy Opens in Shadelands; A New Chapter in the Educational Journey for Students With Special Needs
Neena Bhathal and Tanya Scott have known each other for many years, having worked in the special education space in Oakland in a variety of roles. During the pandemic, they connected more often, ultimately changing the course of their professional and leadership careers. The result: Together, they co-founded Summa Academy in 2021, a nonpublic school designed to deliver “extraordinary teaching for our extraordinary learners,” said Neena.
Summa Academy co-founders Neena Bhathal (l) and Tanya Scott (c), with Director of Operations Janeine Lee (r), are all smiles as they open their doors to students and settle into their new school building in Shadelands at 2730 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek.
Neena has been an educator for more than 20 years; in 2012, she earned her master’s in neuropsychology with a focus on education. For nine years, she was the Executive Director of Special Education for the Oakland Unified School District. Tanya has a master’s in special education and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). In 2006, she founded Juvo Autism & Behavioral Health Services, an agency that provided in-home and school-based behavioral support for students in Oakland and San Francisco. Neena and Tanya’s paths crossed naturally in the course of their work, and during the pandemic, they became great friends, sharing stories about their special education journeys and their dreams for their students on the autism spectrum. It was from these connections and shared visions that Summa Academy took flight.
Summa Academy celebrated the grand opening of its Walnut Creek school with a festive ribbon cutting on April 15, attended by staff, friends, business colleagues, and elected officials. Holding the big scissors in the front row are co-founders Tanya Scott (l) and Neena Bhathal (r) .
Neena and Tanya opened the first Summa Academy in 2021 in Pleasanton (elementary); the second Summa Academy in Livermore in 2023 (middle school); and their third school in April 2026 at 2730 Mitchell Drive in Shadelands Walnut Creek, which is Summa’s first full continuum program serving ages 5 through age 22.
At 43,000 square feet, the Walnut Creek campus (which Summa Academy purchased) is the largest of the three schools, with room to grow classroom numbers and build out life skills programs and amenities.
Convening in one of the specially outfitted classrooms, Summa Academy co-founders Neena Bhathal (c) and Tanya Scott (r), talk about the first day of school with Summa Academy teacher Andrea Gonzalez (l).
Summa Academy Walnut Creek held its first class on Monday, April 13, welcoming its first four students, with plans to increase the number of classrooms to four with ten students per class by August, and a goal of 50 students for year one.
Celebrating the opening of Summa Academy in Shadelands Walnut Creek at the April 15 ribbon cutting: (l-r) Bryce Fennell, SVP, Business Development Officer; Cherise Khaund, field representative, Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan; Jesse Roderick, Senior Vice President, Harvest; Gursewak Bhathal; Harinder Bhathal; Co-founder Neena Bhathal; Co-founder Tanya Scott; and Walnut Creek Mayor Kevin Wilk.
Summa is not a private school; rather, it is a nonpublic school (NPS), certified by the State of California, that contracts and partners with 32 local school districts in the San Francisco Bay Area to provide intensive special education services to students with disabilities. Since all students at Summa are under the Certificate of Completion, school systems fund their education through the age of 22. Students placed with Summa Academy are done so through an Individualized Education Program (IEP) when local public schools cannot serve the students because of the impact of their disability — in this case, generally behavior. Roughly 95% of Summa students have an autism diagnosis.
“That’s where our expertise is,” said Neena. “We are all high-level specialists in behavioral health. Our model ratio is generally two students to one staff, where our team members are working intensively with each student on academic skills, life skills, and functional skills. We are an extension of school districts. If a student isn’t making progress in a public school, or if safety is an issue, the district places the student with us with the expectation that they will transition back to the public school one day.”
“Neena and I had an aligned vision of our students in the schools in which we worked, who have the highest needs,” said Tanya. “We had many conversations about a school being an opportunity for students who were often not given opportunities and for families to feel like their children are safe and cared for. We also have high expectations for our students, because they are capable of a lot, when given the opportunity and the direction.”
“We know our students can learn math, and science, and English language arts, but the key is knowing how to reach them where they are in order to set them up for success.” [Photo courtesy of Summa Academy]
“Parents know their child is safe and being cared for,” said Neena. “What we’re also doing is giving them tools to be successful in the classroom, at home, and in the outside world, and how to live independently and successfully, using skills to offset profound behaviors.”
The new Walnut Creek campus offers a good deal of creative space in which to design and expand. Neena and Tanya plan to build a mock apartment with a laundry room and a kitchen so young adult students can practice real-life skills. There is room for occupational therapy, speech therapy, sensory exploration, and even a small gym for its adapted physical education program. The goal for the multipurpose room is to set it up as a cafeteria where staff and students all each lunch together.
Summa Academy leans toward CBI, community-based instruction, working with the community to find ways to include academics, life skills, and behavioral instruction with its students. “For instance, we have a bus stop right in front of our building, and this is a great way to work with our students on the skills they need to eventually ride public transportation independently,” said Tanya. “We have The Orchards nearby where they can learn how to order and pay for food. And there are neighboring elementary and middle schools that we’d love to partner with for walking field trips and special events.
“We plan to get our students connected with a job coach, and coordinate internships around the community. That’s one of the reasons we love being in Shadelands and around these amazing businesses — there are so many opportunities for our older students to connect with our Shadelands community of businesses and nonprofits for internships and part-time employment — to get that work experience for full-time employment.”
Summa’s adapted physical education programs are designed to empower students of all abilities to develop physical fitness, motor skills, and confidence in a supportive and nurturing environment. [Photo courtesy of Summa Academy]
Occupational therapy supports an individual’s functional success in all the things they want, need, or are required to do in life. Summa’s aim is to provide just the right challenge for each student to facilitate meaningful improvement in their areas of need. [Photo courtesy of Summa Academy]
“We work with all levels of behavioral disabilities, including profound autism,” said Neena. "That’s why we have a small, very strong multidisciplinary team here. We have occupational and speech therapists, adaptive physical education instructors, and board certified behavior analysts (BCBA). All these team members come together to assess students, look at present levels, and set goals, tailoring our interventions to the needs and abilities of each individual student. We focus on academic rigor, because we know our students can learn math, and science, and English language arts, but the key is knowing how to reach them where they are in order to set them up for success, and that’s our specialty.”
“Once we have a connection, we see our students taking steps forward, and learning is happening, and joy surfaces,” said Tanya. “We hear stories from our families that their child woke up and put on his own backpack for school, or their child is coming home happy now. Or they can all go out to a restaurant as a family for the first time in years. Or they can get on an airplane to travel. These are our success stories.”
Neena explained the school’s name. “Summa is Latin for summit. We wanted something prestigious for our school name and our brand because our kids deserve that.”
Summa Academy in Pleasanton, Livermore, and Walnut Creek [Photo courtesy of Summa Academy]
