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Vallejo district cuts class at Pennycook for 30 deaf children - Vallejo Times Herald
A class for deaf students is being removed from a local elementary school next year, but officials say it's not because of the district's budget crisis.
For several decades, a district program serving students from Napa and Solano counties with hearing impairments has operated at Pennycook Elementary School, said district director of special education Kay Altizer.
"We all share in the cost," Altizer said.
Starting next year, though, the roughly 30-student program will offer three classes instead of four, and students living outside Vallejo, but within Solano County, will have to travel to a different school district, Altizer said.
"Right now, just the Solano County students would be going back to the county's program," Altizer said.
The change won't otherwise affect Vallejo special education students.
The change will save the Vallejo City Unified School District as much as $230,000, Altizer said.
One teacher, as well as two vacant educational interpreter positions, will be cut from the district's budget, Altizer said.
That loss in service will be replaced by the Solano County Office of Education, although it is unclear where the class will move.
While the change comes as the Vallejo school district is faced with slashing between $4.6 million and $5.8 million from its $153 million budget next year, Altizer said the decision was not brought on by the budget woes.
"We would be doing this anyway," she said.
That's because Vallejo's enrollment has steadily dropped while the county's has increased. So the number of deaf students outside the school district is likely to increase, Altizer said.
Reorganizing special education services is nothing new for the district. Last year it eliminated a class for emotionally disturbed high school students and added one for middle school students, based on demand.
A class for deaf students is being removed from a local elementary school next year, but officials say it's not because of the district's budget crisis.
For several decades, a district program serving students from Napa and Solano counties with hearing impairments has operated at Pennycook Elementary School, said district director of special education Kay Altizer.
"We all share in the cost," Altizer said.
Starting next year, though, the roughly 30-student program will offer three classes instead of four, and students living outside Vallejo, but within Solano County, will have to travel to a different school district, Altizer said.
"Right now, just the Solano County students would be going back to the county's program," Altizer said.
The change won't otherwise affect Vallejo special education students.
The change will save the Vallejo City Unified School District as much as $230,000, Altizer said.
One teacher, as well as two vacant educational interpreter positions, will be cut from the district's budget, Altizer said.
That loss in service will be replaced by the Solano County Office of Education, although it is unclear where the class will move.
While the change comes as the Vallejo school district is faced with slashing between $4.6 million and $5.8 million from its $153 million budget next year, Altizer said the decision was not brought on by the budget woes.
"We would be doing this anyway," she said.
That's because Vallejo's enrollment has steadily dropped while the county's has increased. So the number of deaf students outside the school district is likely to increase, Altizer said.
Reorganizing special education services is nothing new for the district. Last year it eliminated a class for emotionally disturbed high school students and added one for middle school students, based on demand.