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With a son who attends Streamwood High School who is deaf, Maryjane Comstock said she was devastated to learn that the school district is ending its contract with a special education cooperative that runs programs for hearing-impaired students.
Elgin-based District U-46 announced this week that it was forming its own program to focus on district students and save money--as much as $500,000, officials said.
Comstock said her son, Cruz Bustos, 15, a freshman, could be separated from hearing-impaired friends from outside the district who won't be returning, and she is also worried about employees of Northwestern Illinois Association, the cooperative, who she said have become like family.
"I have concerns when it comes to the full effect of services [the district] will be able to provide," Comstock said.
The regional cooperative, which includes sign-language interpreters, teachers, aides and counselors, has been in existence since 1969, providing assistance for hearing-impaired students in school districts in Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, Jo Daviess, Kane, Lee, Ogle, Stephenson, Whiteside and Winnebago Counties.
For the last 15 years, U-46 schools have become a primary site for area services as general enrollment has more than doubled, to about 130 students this year.
Officials told board members that they are formalizing staffing and curriculum plans to operate the new program that will focus on the district's 65 deaf and hearing-impaired students.
"Ultimately, our responsibility is to the children of U-46 and looking at an effective program for them but also something that would be efficient to the district long term," Supt. Connie Neale said.
Students receive assistance at Parkwood and Horizon Elementary Schools in Hanover Park, Tefft Middle School in Streamwood and Streamwood High School. After June 30, the 63 out-of-district students, who are bused from as far south as Yorkville and as far north as Huntley, will have to find new programs.
Meanwhile, U-46 hearing-impaired or deaf students who are taught in mobile classrooms at Parkwood would move to Bartlett's Centennial Elementary School, where declining enrollment has allowed room for four to six classrooms, officials said. Students who attend Streamwood High, Tefft and Horizon would not be relocated. However, Streamwood officials plan to remodel classroom space.
Officials from the special-education cooperative said they plan to help with the transition, but some question whether U-46 is looking beyond saving money.
"I don't think they understand the full extent about what's involved academically and socially and the impact communication has on the deaf child," said Karen Bogdan, supervisor for the cooperative's Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program. "Isolation is a key factor when there is not a critical mass of deaf students."
In addition, 35 members of the cooperative's staff could lose their jobs, depending on the number of employees that U-46 can hire and the cooperative's ability to accommodate employees, Bogdan said.
John Prince, U-46's chief financial officer, said the contract with the cooperative worked out to $28,875 per student, plus additional costs to operate facilities. That translated to about $53,000 per student. Starting a program will mean some additional costs but also would generate significant savings, which would be redistributed to other students, he said.
With a son who attends Streamwood High School who is deaf, Maryjane Comstock said she was devastated to learn that the school district is ending its contract with a special education cooperative that runs programs for hearing-impaired students.
Elgin-based District U-46 announced this week that it was forming its own program to focus on district students and save money--as much as $500,000, officials said.
Comstock said her son, Cruz Bustos, 15, a freshman, could be separated from hearing-impaired friends from outside the district who won't be returning, and she is also worried about employees of Northwestern Illinois Association, the cooperative, who she said have become like family.
"I have concerns when it comes to the full effect of services [the district] will be able to provide," Comstock said.
The regional cooperative, which includes sign-language interpreters, teachers, aides and counselors, has been in existence since 1969, providing assistance for hearing-impaired students in school districts in Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, Jo Daviess, Kane, Lee, Ogle, Stephenson, Whiteside and Winnebago Counties.
For the last 15 years, U-46 schools have become a primary site for area services as general enrollment has more than doubled, to about 130 students this year.
Officials told board members that they are formalizing staffing and curriculum plans to operate the new program that will focus on the district's 65 deaf and hearing-impaired students.
"Ultimately, our responsibility is to the children of U-46 and looking at an effective program for them but also something that would be efficient to the district long term," Supt. Connie Neale said.
Students receive assistance at Parkwood and Horizon Elementary Schools in Hanover Park, Tefft Middle School in Streamwood and Streamwood High School. After June 30, the 63 out-of-district students, who are bused from as far south as Yorkville and as far north as Huntley, will have to find new programs.
Meanwhile, U-46 hearing-impaired or deaf students who are taught in mobile classrooms at Parkwood would move to Bartlett's Centennial Elementary School, where declining enrollment has allowed room for four to six classrooms, officials said. Students who attend Streamwood High, Tefft and Horizon would not be relocated. However, Streamwood officials plan to remodel classroom space.
Officials from the special-education cooperative said they plan to help with the transition, but some question whether U-46 is looking beyond saving money.
"I don't think they understand the full extent about what's involved academically and socially and the impact communication has on the deaf child," said Karen Bogdan, supervisor for the cooperative's Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program. "Isolation is a key factor when there is not a critical mass of deaf students."
In addition, 35 members of the cooperative's staff could lose their jobs, depending on the number of employees that U-46 can hire and the cooperative's ability to accommodate employees, Bogdan said.
John Prince, U-46's chief financial officer, said the contract with the cooperative worked out to $28,875 per student, plus additional costs to operate facilities. That translated to about $53,000 per student. Starting a program will mean some additional costs but also would generate significant savings, which would be redistributed to other students, he said.
