Miss-Delectable
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Illinois School for Deaf deals with budget threats
Illinois School for the Deaf students come from many places, but more than half are from the Chicago area. The school has 236 state employees and, like other state facilities in Illinois, faces threats to its budget.
The school was on the chopping block last summer, so some families removed their children and some prospective students did not show up because of the uncertainty. "Families just did not want to deal with that," says Carolyn Eilering, the school's director of admissions and records.
Some 19 positions were cut in July, Superintendent Marybeth Lauderdale says. This year, there are 40 fewer staff members than in 2002, but there are 30 more students.
Most of the students are in the high school, which has an enrollment of 180. Many students arrive at the school in ninth grade, so they face a learning curve with sign language and in reading classes, Lauderdale says. Because of that, it is not unusual for students to enroll for an extra year of high school.
Illinois School for the Deaf students come from many places, but more than half are from the Chicago area. The school has 236 state employees and, like other state facilities in Illinois, faces threats to its budget.
The school was on the chopping block last summer, so some families removed their children and some prospective students did not show up because of the uncertainty. "Families just did not want to deal with that," says Carolyn Eilering, the school's director of admissions and records.
Some 19 positions were cut in July, Superintendent Marybeth Lauderdale says. This year, there are 40 fewer staff members than in 2002, but there are 30 more students.
Most of the students are in the high school, which has an enrollment of 180. Many students arrive at the school in ninth grade, so they face a learning curve with sign language and in reading classes, Lauderdale says. Because of that, it is not unusual for students to enroll for an extra year of high school.