Sufficient services for children with special education needs and socioeconomic parity were the main issues brought before the Albemarle County School Board during a public hearing on a redistricting between Hollymead and Baker-Butler elementaries Thursday night.
Jennifer Berman, whose daughter attends Hollymead Elementary and works with a speech therapist, said she had not heard any discussion about special needs students during committee work on the redistricting. Berman said she was also concerned that moving the proposed 143 students from Hollymead to Baker-Butler will mean another redistricting will be necessary soon.
“I am concerned with the large number of kids that are being redistricted ... Baker-Butler will have the same problem in the near future, and I don’t want my daughter to be redistricted twice,” she told the board.
Laura Fox, who served on the redistricting committee, said she had changed her vote from the option represented in Superintendent Pam Moran’s redistricting recommendation, with its 143 moved, to an option that would only move 94 students.
“Basically we did receive some more public comment after we submitted our recommendation to Dr. Moran,” she said. “[This option] does keep the economic diversity a little more balanced between the two schools. There are studies that it does have an effect on student performance.”
Fox said she was also worried that growth in the area had been over forecasted.
Board member Jason Buyaki asked school staff for more information on moving special needs students from one school to another. Comfort levels and routines are important to those students, he said.
“Special needs students, they end up getting into a comfort zone with their facilitators, and that’s important, and that helps them grow, and I think we need to consider that,” he said.
Buyaki asked staff to find out how many special needs children would be moved, and if there was an option to keep those students at their current schools.
Assistant Superintendent Billy Haun said if the students moved, their individual education plans would, too.
“Services are driven by IEP, so if a student moves to a new school, the services have to follow, that’s the law. The services follow the students,” Haun said.
The school board will make a final decision on the redistricting at its March 8 meeting.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement