Miss-Delectable
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Beacon News :: News :: Deaf students ask school: 'Why?'
Some parents and their deaf children are livid after the Elgin School District U46 decided to sever its contract with its hearing-impaired program, Northwestern Illinois Association.
"The majority of (deaf) kids at Streamwood have been in the NIA program since they were 2 or 3 years old. They have grown up together. They have become one big family," said Maryjane Comstock, the mother of a deaf teenager who attends Streamwood High School, part of the Elgin district.
She and her son are upset that U46 has decided to cut ties with NIA and begin its own hearing-impaired program for the next school year.
"NIA knows these kids inside and out and that's what's so upsetting," said Comstock, whose son, Cruz Bustos, was born deaf.
"Losing (NIA Director) Karen Bogdan is like losing a lifeline. NIA goes the extra mile. They're not worried about money because they love my son. They've been there through everything no matter what kind of emergency."
Cruz and his best friend, Joseph Mendoza, who also is deaf, sighed in disgust as they used American sign language to explain how devastated and confused they were by the district's decision.
"The interpreters and teachers are all I know. I feel safe. Oh my God, I don't know what's going on," signed Cruz.
"I feel bad. Too many people (NIA staff) were crying," signed Mendoza. "The interpreters were telling us they were looking for other jobs."
Regardless of the consequences, eliminating the contract with NIA in favor of a district-operated program comes down to two things -- a drastic increase in enrollment and money, according to Elgin officials.
NIA provides hearing-impaired services to 128 pupils -- 65 of whom are in the Elgin School District. These services are delivered at Horizon and Parkwood elementaries in Hanover Park, and Tefft Middle School and Streamwood High, both in Streamwood. Under the Elgin district plan, nondistrict students would have to go elsewhere for the services.
"The costs would be substantially less to run it on our own," said John Prince, the district's chief financial officer.
Prince gave the example of the hearing-impaired program at Horizon Elementary as justification for giving NIA the boot. The district compared the cost of the in-house Horizon program to that of the NIA program. Through NIA, between the contract and staffing costs, the school district spends about $53,000 annually per child. The Horizon program, he said, is a "fraction of that cost."
School officials insist the program will be an effective and easy switch.
"We are doing everything we can to help transition families," said Debra Dimke, executive director of the district's educational programs who is spearheading this change.
"We want to assure them (families) that the quality of the program will be maintained."
Some parents and their deaf children are livid after the Elgin School District U46 decided to sever its contract with its hearing-impaired program, Northwestern Illinois Association.
"The majority of (deaf) kids at Streamwood have been in the NIA program since they were 2 or 3 years old. They have grown up together. They have become one big family," said Maryjane Comstock, the mother of a deaf teenager who attends Streamwood High School, part of the Elgin district.
She and her son are upset that U46 has decided to cut ties with NIA and begin its own hearing-impaired program for the next school year.
"NIA knows these kids inside and out and that's what's so upsetting," said Comstock, whose son, Cruz Bustos, was born deaf.
"Losing (NIA Director) Karen Bogdan is like losing a lifeline. NIA goes the extra mile. They're not worried about money because they love my son. They've been there through everything no matter what kind of emergency."
Cruz and his best friend, Joseph Mendoza, who also is deaf, sighed in disgust as they used American sign language to explain how devastated and confused they were by the district's decision.
"The interpreters and teachers are all I know. I feel safe. Oh my God, I don't know what's going on," signed Cruz.
"I feel bad. Too many people (NIA staff) were crying," signed Mendoza. "The interpreters were telling us they were looking for other jobs."
Regardless of the consequences, eliminating the contract with NIA in favor of a district-operated program comes down to two things -- a drastic increase in enrollment and money, according to Elgin officials.
NIA provides hearing-impaired services to 128 pupils -- 65 of whom are in the Elgin School District. These services are delivered at Horizon and Parkwood elementaries in Hanover Park, and Tefft Middle School and Streamwood High, both in Streamwood. Under the Elgin district plan, nondistrict students would have to go elsewhere for the services.
"The costs would be substantially less to run it on our own," said John Prince, the district's chief financial officer.
Prince gave the example of the hearing-impaired program at Horizon Elementary as justification for giving NIA the boot. The district compared the cost of the in-house Horizon program to that of the NIA program. Through NIA, between the contract and staffing costs, the school district spends about $53,000 annually per child. The Horizon program, he said, is a "fraction of that cost."
School officials insist the program will be an effective and easy switch.
"We are doing everything we can to help transition families," said Debra Dimke, executive director of the district's educational programs who is spearheading this change.
"We want to assure them (families) that the quality of the program will be maintained."
