Serving People with Developmental Disabilities
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Brooks-Yates School administrators are considering a measure that would relocate the school to a facility in the Teays Valley School District. The measure was discussed at the regular meeting of the Pickaway County Commissioners Tuesday. “If we do nothing, we will just slowly fade into non-existence,” explained Mike Pelcic, superintendent of the Pickaway County Board of Developmental Disabilities (PCBDD). Brooks-Yates School opened more than 50 years ago to provide education to children with developmental disabilities in Pickaway County. Presently, nine out of every ten students that are eligible for PCBDD services are able to participate in their home school districts. Due to this trend of school districts incorporating special needs students into the classroom, only 12 students are currently enrolled at the Brooks-Yates School facility and that number is declining. PCBDD created a planning team to determine whether relocating Brooks-Yates School into a Pickaway County public school district building would be feasible and beneficial to those who would be effected. The team consists of parents of children receiving PCBDD services, Brooks-Yates School teachers and aides, PCBDD board members and staff, representatives from each Pickaway County school district and employees of the Pickaway County Educational Service Center. “We are trying to find the students greater opportunity while addressing the concerns parents have,” noted Pelcic. PCBDD will not eliminate the services provided by Brooks-Yates and will continue to ensure free and individualized education for all children in Pickaway County, according to the organization. Pelcic stated that the Teays Valley School District currently has space available and is interested in collaborating with the school. By combining the two schools, it would provide greater opportunities for Brooks-Yates students to be included in activities with their peers and grant the ability to share resources with other educators and students. PCBDD will not make any decisive action until October 2015, and the earliest a Pickaway County school district collaboration could take place would be the start of the 2016/2017 school year. This relocation will pertain to current Brooks-Yates School staff members as well, who would assimilate into the new school district. “If relocation occurs to Teays Valley, it will be the same staff [and] same students, just a different building,” said Pelcic. http://www.circlevilleherald.com/news/brooks-yates-school-considers-possible-relocation/article_fce70fff-ef94-5985-8ba1-0c0b8a343fe6.html This article has been reproduced for educational purposes only and appeared in the Circleville Herald. The original story can be found at: http://www.circlevilleherald.com/news/brooks-yates-school-considers-possible-relocation/article_fce70fff-ef94-5985-8ba1-0c0b8a343fe6.html Send this page to a friend |