Opportunity School students to return to WHS
Those closest to the Opportunity School attempted unsuccessfully to plead their case that the highly successful program, which one parent described at not just life-changing but life-saving, remain at the old Grant Street School rather than being relocated to Wooster High School.As part of its budget-cutting efforts, the board of education voted unanimously to close the facility and move the program to the high school this fall, saving the district $106,000 annually.
"It has less to do with the Opportunity School and more to do with potentially the need for that space in a different way," explained Superintendent Michael Tefs. "What we are planning on is potentially if the levy were to fail again in (August) and…in November, there is a great likelihood that we would have to close another elementary school, and that would allow us the space to do that.
"We have the space at the high school to absorb the Opportunity School and still maintain the program," said Tefs, noting that the wrap-around services used to meet the unique needs of the 60 students in the program would follow them to the new location.
"It has much less to do with bricks and mortar. It has a lot to do with the passion of our educators," said Tefs, expressing confidence that the new location at the high school would open up more opportunities for the students, including foreign language courses and updated technology not currently available at the Grant Street location.
Tefs noted that the district has identified an area in the high school containing four classrooms and two offices, which "is appropriate space for the Opportunity School, but at the same time, allowed as much integration into WHS as they want or as little or not any."
One by one parents, staff members, and former students from the school rose to express their concern over returning students to a school building where they did not find considerable success.
"I'm terrified of this mixing again," said one parent of even the integration of Opportunity School and WHS students in hallways, on buses and at lunch, "because that's where they got into trouble last time."
Another parent spoke of the negative impact the smaller quarters will have on the students saying, "these kids cannot deal with that. It's the children that need to be addressed, not the building."
Those closest to the program expressed their strong support for leaving the program at what they see as an ideal location.
"I am very concerned, clinically speaking, about the proposal," said Tracie Giffin, a clinical therapist at the Opportunity School.
"One of the things that helps us be successful with helping these kids get where they need to be at academically, socially and emotionally is the holistic approach that we take. It's a multi disciplinary team…that understands how to modify their approach with these kids so they can find success academically," said Giffin.
"One of the things that makes us successful in that holistic approach is the environment and it is key to the success of these kids," said Giffin, noting many of the students in the program come from traumatic backgrounds.
According to Giffin, the current environment helps the students "get their emotions regulated until we can teach them other coping skills. The environment is key to their success."
While Tefs indicated that the decision to move the Opportunity School would be implemented regardless of whether the levy passed later this year, he expressed the administration's desire to work collaboratively with the Opportunity School community to make the transition a smooth one for the students.