CHARLES CITY, Iowa (AP) - Charles City will be the first regional site for an effort to improve services for blind and deaf children, according to local education officials.
The school district in the northeastern Iowa city plans to start services in the fall and have a fully developed program by fall 2015, the Globe Gazette reported (https://bit.ly/1ccoIXs ).
The Iowa Board of Regents has determined that blind and deaf students in rural areas often can’t access the services offered in urban areas. To address this, the board is establishing several regional programs that will include specialized teachers.
Charles City School Superintendent Dan Cox said the district’s programs will be offered at elementary, middle school and high school buildings. District officials have identified about 15 children so far who they think could benefit from the new service in Charles City.
Funding for the effort depends on action by the Legislature. If lawmakers don’t approve funding this spring, the program’s start will be delayed until 2015.
The Vinton-based Iowa Education Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired and the Iowa School for the Deaf in Council Bluffs plan to hire several teachers and other staff to carry out the program.
Iowa Education Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired mainly offers summer and weekend programs. Some children live at the School for the Deaf, but “families want their children to be as close to home as possible,” said Patrick Clancy, the superintendent for both organizations.
Besides supporting programs for children with special needs, Clancy said Charles City was chosen as the first regional site because older students can take classes at North Iowa Area Community College and local businesses are open to providing job training to those students.
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Information from: Globe Gazette, https://www.globegazette.com/
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