MARYSVILLE — Marysville students with disabilities will be able to swim again, the district announced Friday, less than two weeks after the district cited safety reasons in pausing the program.
After the district paused the program, parents expressed frustration because they said swimming was vital for their children with disabilities. The district said the program had to be paused due to safety concerns that emerged last spring, but did not say if any specific incident led to those concerns.
The program will have increased supervision from trained instructors and include lesson plans designed for measurable progress, the district said in its announcement, two of the reasons it cited for pausing the program just two weeks ago.
Previously, teachers on the swim deck supervised. Now, a qualified instructor has been added, the district said.
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In its announcement, the district released a 12-week lesson plan outlining the program students will take part in. It covers topics from basic movement and breath control in the first weeks to independence skills and water games in the final weeks. The swim program will be year-round, the district said, with the curriculum rotating through the year.
At least one parent raised concerns, worried the program may not be inclusive enough to accommodate for students with disabilities.
Eric Christofferson, who has two children in the 18- to 21-year-old program, said children with disabilities may be unable to perform many of the skills listed in the lesson plans.
“The curriculum, as they published it, is designed for typical children who don’t have physical disabilities, mental disabilities, stuff like that,” Christofferson said. “The curriculum doesn’t accommodate for any sort of special needs whatsoever.”
Christofferson said he needs to have an additional meeting with his children’s Individualized Education Program, or IEP, teams to incorporate the new swimming curriculums. Every child with disabilities is different, he said, and the program wouldn’t be compatible with every child.
Students would receive individualized support as part of the new curriculum, the district said in its announcement, meaning the activities they take part in would be tailored to their specific needs.
“Not every student is expected to do everything equally,” district spokesperson Jodi Runyon said in an email Friday. “The instructor will modify the lessons based on the student’s individual needs and capabilities.”
Will Geschke: 425-339-3443; william.geschke@heraldnet.com; X: @willgeschke.
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