An update on the farm property at 42W420 Campton Hills Road

October 9, 2025

Dear Headwaters families,

We reach out today with some bad news, and some good news. 

With very mixed emotion we need to share that we’ve hit insurmountable barriers with the schoolhouse at 42W420 Campton Hills Road. In the end, the village assigned untenable conditions that made the property unusable, including but not limited to: school activity forbidden within 50 feet of the fence lines, reducing the property from 5 acres to 3 acres and eliminating use of the pond; expensive additions of a turn lane and further driveway extension; addition of an all-house sprinkler system; restrictions on future outbuildings; restrictions on events; an enrollment cap that would severely limit the growth of our programs; and more. 

We have done everything we can to advocate for the farm property as the home for Headwaters. We brought in great legal help, and leveraged all the voices we could. We demonstrated traffic flow, noise levels, a genuine willingness to agree to conditions about fencing and other potential nuisances. We expanded the driveway, consulted septic experts, and invited the neighbors to the launch party. We did not expect the level of upset and consequently hostile behavior from some of our neighbors. We did not expect to be bullied in person, in public formats, and online. We did not expect to encounter trespassing and intimidation, or fraudulent attempts to cancel the insurance policy on the house. Based on emotional and financial stressors, our team has decided the cost of continuing to pursue 42W420 Campton Hills Road as the permanent location is simply too high. 

We were committed to the farm because of the vision it held: a place where all our children could learn on the land through the rhythm of the seasons, where community could gather around shared purpose, and where Headwaters could take root.

But we want to be clear — we are not giving up on that vision. Our roots in Kane County run deep, and our search for a permanent home continues with renewed determination. The Strom Farm on Silver Glen and Route 47 has recently emerged as a possibility — a place with open fields, ponds, and woodlands that seem to be the perfect host for nature-based education. We were invited to tour, and we submitted a partnership pitch to the Strom family this week. We're working on the zoning details now. 

This next chapter is about resilience, creativity, and holding fast to what we know is possible. Thank you for believing in this vision with us. Together, we’ll find the place where Headwaters belongs in Kane County — and help it flourish for generations to come.

Forward together,

Sarah Elliott, Dana Merk, and Kendra Holton