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Parent and former teacher urges board to reconsider South School classroom reconfiguration, warns of isolation for students with disabilities
Summary
Speakers at a public-comment period pressed Il Valley Central USD 321 to reverse a planned reconfiguration at South School that parents said would cluster special-education classrooms at the back of the building, increasing safety risks and reducing inclusion. Commenters asked the board to improve communication and adopt a parent-notification policy.
Sarah, a former South School teacher and parent, told the board the planned reconfiguration moves eight classrooms and clusters all four K–3 special-education classrooms near the back parking lot, which she said will isolate students and reduce everyday inclusion opportunities. "Real inclusion happens in everyday moments, passing in hallways, casual reading, shared routines," she said, arguing those interactions "would not have occurred if these classrooms had been isolated." Sarah said the nurse will be farther away, some students present elopement and medical risks, and that administrators told parents they would not install fencing to improve safety.
Becca O'Sullivan, a retired teacher and grandmother, appealed for empathy and continuity, saying her family asked district staff years ago "what do you want for Patrick?" and answered that they wanted him included. "We want him to be seen. We want him to be loved," O'Sullivan said, warning that physical separation sends the message that students with disabilities "belong somewhere else." Both commenters asked the board to reconsider the changes before the school year and to adopt a policy requiring timely communication and meaningful parent input when major educational changes affecting students with disabilities are proposed.
