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Parent urges Voorhees to build in-district autism/emotional‑regulation program as out‑of‑district costs mount
Summary
Michaela Black told the board her son with autism and ADHD faces out‑of‑district placement costing roughly $55,000 per year and urged the district to prioritize a smaller, sensory‑sensitive in‑district program with clear timelines; the superintendent asked for follow‑up materials and the administration noted a current job posting for an autism class.
"My name is Michaela Black," a Voorhees parent told the Board of Education during the public‑comment period, and she urged district leaders to prioritize an in‑district program for young students with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD.
Black said her 5‑year‑old son, classified as a preschooler with a disability, has limited in‑district placement options and that the district has told his family their only viable choice would be an out‑of‑district placement costing the district about $55,000 a year. She argued the gap reflects a missed opportunity to develop middle‑ground in‑district programs — smaller, lower‑stimulus classrooms with staff trained in emotional‑regulation strategies — that could serve many students locally.
Black described the existing choices as either full inclusion without adequate supports or a much more restrictive pull‑out program; she said neither option met her child’s needs and that, as a result, her son had experienced stress and little meaningful progress. She asked the district to adopt an emotional‑regulation impairment class with clear timelines and commitments so families are not forced into costly out‑of‑district placements.
Superintendent Dr. Meeley Hackett and the chair invited Black to forward materials and details to the superintendent’s office; Black noted a current district job posting for an autism/emotional‑regulation class and said she would share additional information about a neighboring district’s program she cited as a model. No formal board action or timeline was offered during the meeting; the request was recorded and the administration acknowledged it for follow up.
The comment came during a meeting in which the board adopted its 2026–27 budget; Black said time is pressing for ESY and placement decisions (she said families had less than six weeks to secure placements). The transcript records the board asking the commenter to send program information directly to the superintendent and to the district for consideration as planning continues.
