Second special-needs preschool unneeded in Seneca County

The Family Learning Center provides a high-quality educational program for all Seneca County Early Childhood Special Needs Students and has done so for the past 17 years. There is no good economic or educational reason to open another preschool for children with special needs in this area when the FLC already exists. Tiffin City School’s desire to open its own Early Childhood Special Needs program is unfortunate and illogical. For almost 20 years, the former Seneca County Board of Education (now the North Central Ohio Educational Service Center), worked collaboratively with many agencies, including TCS, to build the FLC in order to provide exemplary learning and special education services for preschool children. Now, TCS has decided to withdraw from the consortium to begin its own program. Taxpayers and residents should be asking the question, “Why is this occurring?” When built, there simply was a commitment by all Seneca County school districts that the state dollars for preschool children with special needs in Tiffin and Seneca County would go toward the operation of the FLC. This collaboration of agencies included the Seneca County Board of Developmental Disabilities, Vanguard-Sentinel Career Center, WSOS/Head Start, Seneca County Family and Children First Council, Seneca County Community Resources for Kids and the schools of Seneca County, including TCS. During that time period, there were a number of TCS superintendents who never wavered about the commitment to the FLC, including former superintendents Larry Cook, Forrest Yocum, Denise Callihan and Don Coletta – their word meant their commitment was ongoing. Unfortunately, the proposed plan that TCS will use to reopen Lincoln is flawed and not clearly defined. The plan is unclear, untimely, full of misrepresentations, financially unsound and diverts district money that could be used for instruction of all TCS students. The plan contradicts the initial decision to close Lincoln and Clinton in order to save costs. During the reconfiguration of the district, neither of the two proposals that were considered had Lincoln reopening – there was no intent shown to begin an early childhood special-needs program. Even the TCS board is split with this questionable proposal that was recommended by new administrators with little or no experience in early childhood special-needs education. If implemented, the proposed plan will use valuable district and taxpayer money to purchase duplicate equipment and curriculum already in place at the FLC. Claims of cost savings have varied greatly, with little justification or a true “apples to apples” comparison. The original statement by Superintendent Vicki Wheatley was that the only thing the Lincoln building would need to reopen would be some “little tables and chairs and a fresh coat of paint.” Now, the district realizes that to develop a new early childhood education program and to follow the law, it will cost the district somewhere between $750,000 to $1.25 million just to reopen the building. This is without the costs to educate the children. The Family Learning Center has an excellent reputation that was created through its outstanding staff with specialized training, curriculum and a state-of-art building that was specifically designed and equipped for early childhood education. Annual rental cost for the FLC is $26,253 per year and is shared by all participating districts. These costs include all utilities, custodial services, paper supplies, snow removal, lawn care, secure entrances, fire suppression, ADA accessible restrooms, changing areas for students and outside entrances for emergencies. The building is air conditioned, climate controlled and built with safety and security for the students in mind. Conventional wisdom, along with an accurate cost analysis, would indicate TCS will pay far more for these necessities if they try to reopen and renovate Lincoln School. The Ohio Department of Education has confirmed the parents of special-needs preschool children are able to enroll their children to another school district that accepts open-enrollment students. This means TCS parents who want their children to attend the FLC can do so by open enrolling to a participating district. Based on the overwhelming positive feedback the FLC has received, TCS is taking a huge risk by gambling with taxpayers’ money and assuming all early childhood special-needs children will attend Lincoln. The TCS superintendent stated in a recently published newspaper column that TCS can do a better job of preparing special-needs preschool students for kindergarten and primary grades. That kind of statement demands evidence. Certainly, the Ohio Department of Education’s grade of “F” for TCS’s efforts to educate special-needs children in K-12 does not support the superintendent’s statement. Wheatley also stated that … “beginning in pre-kindergarten, our students will be provided help and support to make sure they are on track for reading success by the end of third grade.” Instruction should be individualized for every child to help them maximize their potential. The education of preschool children, or any other grade level, should not just be geared to pass a test. The children at the FLC always have had their education tailored to their individual needs. In the end, who is it that we are truly serving? The ultimate reason to be an educator is to be an advocate for and to do what is right for boys and girls. We are charged with making important decisions that will impact our youngest and most vulnerable children during a time in their lives when it is most critical. The Family Learning Center has successfully done this since its inception. As educators, administrators, parents, community members and taxpaying citizens, we owe it to our youngest children to provide them with a reliable, high-quality education offered at the Family Learning Center. The program at FLC is stable and solid and was not built overnight or in a matter of a few months. It has taken years of experience, dedication, hard work and collaboration by all involved. There is no reason to “start over” in an attempt to replicate the FLC program and facility. Through meaningful dialogue, collaboration and trust, the NCOESC desires to work with the Tiffin City School District to continue to provide the high-quality education and special services for our preschool aged-children at the FLC. The TCS Board of Education is encouraged to seriously reconsider creating a second learning center for special-needs preschool children. It is not needed! Keep your commitment to the FLC! Many taxpayers in the Tiffin City School District agree such a facility is not needed for Tiffin and Seneca County. The district should reconsider spending dollars to improve existing learning opportunities for all students. Tiffin and Seneca County do not need a second preschool for special-needs students. Jim Lahoski is superintendent and CEO of North Central Ohio Educational Service Center.