Story posted Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Centralizing Of Special Ed Program At Maine East Closer To Reality
By DWIGHT ESAU Journal & Topics Reporter
For several years, High School District 207 has been planning to centralize a specialized program for young special education students at Maine East High School.
The problem has been finding funding for the $800,000 project, which requires extensive remodeling of a currently unused part of the East building.
Now, the district believes it has found the money, courtesy of the federal government.
District officials say they have been told that federal stimulus funds are available for this project. Monday night, June 1, the board of education authorized the district to seek contractor bids, and make formal application for the funds. The district hopes to have an answer in the next few weeks.
State law requires public school districts to provide educational services to 18-21 year olds living in their boundaries until their 22nd birthday. District 207 has about 45 such students, who are in transition from high school years to the job market and independent living.
The district's Special Education Transition Program now is scattered among various locations in East, West, and South high schools. Plans call for centralizing the activity into 4,400 square feet in a vacant maintenance area on the south side of Maine East.
"This will allow us to enhance the learning environment for these learning and physically disabled students, and will permit a significant upgrade in the program," said Ken Wallace, assistant superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction.
Because this project is designed for a small, specialized group of students, it is not part of the district's $40 million- plus capital improvement program that began this school year. It must be funded separately.
Wallace said a current timeline calls for work to start at East late this summer or early fall, and occupancy to occur in January 2010.
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