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Parents and staff tell emotional stories at Bucks Hill tour, urge board to back new preschool
Summary
Parents and staff described student gains, accessible devices and intensive therapies at a Bucks Hill tour; a preschool graduate using an AAC device directly urged officials to "say yes" to a new school to help peers access services.
At a special meeting and site tour at Bucks Hill, multiple parents and staff described how preschool services at the site have helped children gain speech, mobility and independence.
One parent described obtaining an AAC communications device with school help and said the family paid nothing for equipment that would otherwise have cost about $11,000: "With the help of the staff at the annex, I paid $0," the parent said in testimony to the boards. That parent said her son, who is autistic and non-verbal, now uses the device to communicate.
A student who identified himself as Royal ("RJ") spoke briefly to the boards after graduating from pre-K: "Say yes to a new school so my friends can get help like me," RJ said, adding, "Say yes to our future." Parents and staff said those on-site supports and close relationships are a key reason to pursue a new permanent facility rather than dispersing children during construction.
Parents recounted that at-home and in-class therapies (speech, occupational and physical therapy) and close staff attention produced measurable progress, and they urged officials to prioritize a building that will centralize services and provide adaptive playground equipment and accessible spaces.
The boards heard these testimonials as part of a short video and an on-site walkthrough; no formal decision on the project was made at the meeting.
