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"School for the Deaf $5 million plan emerges" by Latest News -- GazetteXtra
In 1911, only a small percentage of deaf students went to school.
In 1911, educating children with multiple disabilities was unheard of.
And in 1911, Smart Boards, Wi-Fi, iPads and laptops were unimaginable.
Those are a few of the reasons being given for replacing 100-year-old Walker Hall at the Wisconsin School for the Deaf in Delavan.
On Thursday, representatives from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and Ayres Associates, the Madison-based engineering firm, presented the draft environmental impact assessment of the project.
The meeting at Kastner Hall on the school’s campus also gave the community a chance to learn more about the project.
“The building is intended to replace a building that’s 100 years old,” Superintendent Alex Slappey said in an interview before the meeting.
A century ago, a three-story building with a traditional layout worked best.
Now, more than half of students have multiple disabilities, including some who are in wheelchairs. The building has an elevator, but it doesn’t meet fire and safety codes, Slappey said. He’s also concerned about getting students out of the building in a fire.
The main electrical system dates to the 1950s and can’t handle the electrical load imposed by such commonly used technology as Smart Boards, computers and laptops.
Technology is critical for the school, Slappey said.
In 1911, only a small percentage of deaf students went to school.
In 1911, educating children with multiple disabilities was unheard of.
And in 1911, Smart Boards, Wi-Fi, iPads and laptops were unimaginable.
Those are a few of the reasons being given for replacing 100-year-old Walker Hall at the Wisconsin School for the Deaf in Delavan.
On Thursday, representatives from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and Ayres Associates, the Madison-based engineering firm, presented the draft environmental impact assessment of the project.
The meeting at Kastner Hall on the school’s campus also gave the community a chance to learn more about the project.
“The building is intended to replace a building that’s 100 years old,” Superintendent Alex Slappey said in an interview before the meeting.
A century ago, a three-story building with a traditional layout worked best.
Now, more than half of students have multiple disabilities, including some who are in wheelchairs. The building has an elevator, but it doesn’t meet fire and safety codes, Slappey said. He’s also concerned about getting students out of the building in a fire.
The main electrical system dates to the 1950s and can’t handle the electrical load imposed by such commonly used technology as Smart Boards, computers and laptops.
Technology is critical for the school, Slappey said.