STANWOOD — A decision to consolidate a special education program for Stanwood and Camano Island students from two schools to one has upset some parents who worry their children may be isolated because of their disabilities.
The school district sent a letter last week to families of students in the elementary ASSIST program, which serves 21 children in kindergarten through fifth grade. ASSIST stands for Active Student Support for Independence, Skills and Transition.
There are two elementary ASSIST classrooms, one in Stanwood at Twin City Elementary and one on Camano Island at Utsalady Elementary. The letter says the classes “will be combined at Utsalady Elementary” starting in fall 2016.
Officials wrote that “combining the locations will allow us to be able to offer a more flexible, fluid program to better meet the needs of our ASSIST students.” Utsalady has adjoining classrooms, small group rooms, a playground with special equipment and it would bring the two teachers together to share expertise, they said.
The decision was jarring for some parents. Sending Stanwood students out of town to a Camano Island school because they learn differently than their peers is wrong, said Sara Stiers, who has two sons, ages 8 and 10, at Twin City Elementary.
Her youngest son is autistic and has made good friends at Twin City, where he is technically part of the ASSIST program but isn’t in a special-needs classroom. He loves superheroes, popsicles and the color purple and he wants to join choir next year. His autism doesn’t define him and he shouldn’t have to leave his town to go to school, she said.
“Miles-wise, it’s not a great distance, but it’s far away in that you don’t shop at the same stores, you don’t see the same people, he won’t know where his friend’s house is on his route home from school,” Stiers said.
The change might not be the right fit for everyone, assistant superintendent Lloy Schaaf said. District staff plan to talk with each family. The letter promises a phone call and an optional meeting at Utsalady.
“It’s always easier not to make change,” Schaaf said. “Change is difficult, but we really feel we can offer better resources for the kids this way.”
A study group started looking at combining the classes last year and the superintendent’s cabinet, which consists of the superintendent, assistant superintendent, human resource director and business services director, made the decision earlier this month. The school board did not vote on it.
“There may be some students this doesn’t work for,” Schaaf said. “We really need to talk to the parents on an individual basis.”
Those talks should have happened before the district made a decision, Stiers said. There were no public meetings and the letter arrived on the Friday of the four-day Presidents’ Day weekend. It felt disrespectful, she said. When the district dealt with boundary changes a couple of years ago, they held multiple meetings.
It’s not unusual for the cabinet to make program decisions, Schaaf said. She said the ASSIST changes are not a cost-saving measure and won’t change the level of services district-wide. There are resource rooms and special education teachers in every school.
In any district, special education programs need to be built on trust with families, said Kelly Lloyd, whose son went to Stanwood schools from kindergarten to seventh grade before they moved into the Lakewood School District. Instead of busing kids farther from home to give them more resources, the district should have those resources at both locations, she said.
“They try to make it sound like this will be so much better. They’ll have better space and everyone will be in the same building and they’ll have a better playground,” she said. “You know what? Get another playground. Put one in at the other school.”
The change also limits learning for other children, Stiers said. Kids in Stanwood should have the chance to interact with and understand people living with disabilities.
“I just think it’s bad for any community to ship an entire population out of it,” Stiers said. “They don’t send all the kids with peanut allergies out to a portable because it’s easier to access an EpiPen there.”
The idea that the school district wants to move all special education to Camano Island is a misconception, said Schaaf and Pam Gentz, special services director. This is a location change for a specific program.
ASSIST serves students with a range of disabilities. Some of them thrive on sensory experiences while others get overwhelmed, so having a variety of spaces and two teachers will allow for adaptable lessons, Gentz said.
“It’s student centered,” she said. “It’s about our kids and how we can best meet their needs.”
Of the 21 students in the program, 10 are at Utsalady and 11 are at Twin City. The district would provide transportation from Stanwood to Camano Island, Schaaf said.
The program changes are still “a work in progress,” she said. Things could change as the district talks to families.
Parents with questions or concerns can contact Gentz at 360-629-1236 or pgentz@stanwood.wednet.edu, or Schaaf at 360-629-1237 or lschaaf@stanwood.wednet.edu.
Kari Bray: 425-339-3439; kbray@heraldnet.com.
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