[nfbwatlk] WSSB/OSB article from the Columbian

[Doug Trimble]

This article came from today's Vancouver Columbian

re. school for blind's closure prompts calls
Vancouver campus has no process to accept transfers, official says
Monday, June 15 | 10:22 p.m. 

BY HOWARD BUCK
COLUMBIAN STAFF WRITER

The leader of Vancouver's Washington State School for the Blind doesn't
expect an enrollment rush after Oregon legislators agreed to close that
state's 135-year-old school for the blind.

Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski is expected to sign the bill, which passed
the Legislature just last week.

The WSSB phones are already ringing with calls from Oregon families. But
there's no process in place for the Vancouver campus to accept Oregon
transfers, Superintendent Dean Stenehjem said Monday.

Neither is there any guarantee of speedy placement for families willing
to relocate across the Columbia River, he said.

"This is just so much speculation," Stenehjem said.

First, Oregon must determine where its 24 displaced students, many of
whom have multiple disabilities, can best be served, he said. Many are
likely to return to Oregon public schools, where outreach services
continue.

Oregon lawmakers blanched at spending $3 million per year - that's
$125,000 per pupil - to house and instruct students at the aging Salem
facility. 

Meantime, the Vancouver school's "first obligation has to be to
Washington," Stenehjem said.

He expects 65 to 70 Washington students will be enrolled by September at
WSSB, an accredited kindergarten through 12th-grade school. About 14
incoming pupils are expected in place of 11 seniors who graduated
Friday.

That doesn't leave much extra room for Oregonians.

With no out-of-state agreements in place, Stenehjem can't offer a smooth
transfer option for Oregon families. A comprehensive assessment is
required for each potential student, adding more delay. And the Oregon
school was no longer accredited, which brings more complications.

That said, Stenehjem has contacted Oregon with an offer to discuss
cooperative efforts, he said. WSSB is a familiar presence in Oregon,
having long provided training for teachers there.

"We are open to conversations, whether anything can be done on a
regional basis," Stenehjem said. "We're interested in working with
anybody. We've planted a seed out there."

Any serious talks would come at the legislative and top state levels, he
added.

As in Washington, Oregon's school for the blind saw enrollment peak by
the early 1960s, when the state boarding school was many students' only
viable option. Federal laws that emphasize mainstream education in local
schools have since sharply reduced those numbers.

Currently, WSSB serves about 600 students in Washington, most through
local school districts and outreach specialists, Stenehjem said.

Howard Buck: 360-735-4515; howard.buck at columbian.com.



Show 1 Comment(s)
by SarahB : 6/16/09 6:21am - Report Abuse

Good decision or bad decision, its a shame that the result is more
stress and hurdles for families of children with special needs. 
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Doug Trimble